Son of Shepard
by bojangles25
Summary: When Martin Shepard's mother leaves him in the care of his father, Commander John Shepard, it changes his life as well as the lives of his father and his father's girlfriend, Tali'Zorah, forever. Begins after Rannoch is retaken, follows through the end of ME3, eventually leading to Martin's Pilgrimage 10 years later. Rated M for four letter words.
1. Chapter 1

**I'll try my best to update this often, but I have this and another story going, so I'm not sure how often I will be. I'll try my best not to go more than a week. I figured, just like with the Shepley story I have going, that this is a unique type of story involving Shepard and Tali that I wanted to write. Tali rules all, hope you enjoy.**

John Shepard had rarely been so nervous in his entire life. His breaths were uneven, his hands constantly closed into fists and reopened, and he had to force himself not to pace outside the airlock. A hand on his shoulder made him shudder and turn, but he relaxed when that same hand gripped his left, three fingers interlaced with his own five. Shepard knew Tali was every bit as nervous as he was, but she had a helmet to hide it. Reminder, he thought to himself, don't ever say something like that to her in any way that was not a joke. Tali would not think it was very funny. Hell, she would not think it was very funny even if he told it as a joke. The contact with his recently reunited love calmed him slightly, and he offered the best smile he could in her direction. She responded by grabbing joining her other hand to the one she was already holding and playing with his hand, a tender gesture Shepard had grown to enjoy. "I'm supposed to be the nervous one, Shepard," Tali said, a fake scolding tone to her words. "It isn't fair if you are more nervous than I am."

"Too bad, I can't calm down now," Shepard told her as she continued to play with his hand and trace irregular patterns on his palm with her fingers. "This never goes well. No matter what the reason for the visit is, things end up heated and we're both struggling not to fight in front of the kid. Considering the reason for this particular visit, I can't see any other outcome."

"The kid?" Tali teased. "You do not even remember your son's name."

Shepard's smile dissipated, and Tali immediately felt regret for the joke. Martin Shepard was not a subject that John Shepard had discussed with her often, and making a joke about his parenting would not help him open up. She was not even sure how old Martin was. Keelah, her she was trying to calm down Shepard when she was the one that woke up this morning covered in a cold sweat. Every one of the five days since Shepard had told Tali that Martin's mother would be coming on the Normandy to discuss their son, and bringing him with her. All she could think of was that this woman was one that at some point Shepard had loved enough to have a child with, and the possibility that any small spark could lead to the two of them rediscovering what it was that they loved about each other before. No amount of reassurances otherwise made her feel much better. "I'm sorry, Shepard, I did not mean to say you were a bad parent, I'm sure you are wonderful and loving and caring and your son loves you, because why wouldn't someone love…"

"Tali, calm down," Shepard interrupted, the grin back on his face. "There, see? Now we are back to normal, with you rambling nervously and me stopping you." Tali laughed, squeezing his hand, and Shepard knew things were okay, at least for right now. He had no idea how things would go once Louisa was onboard, and the jealous reactions both women were prone to began.

"Shepard, your guests have entered the airlock and are going through decontamination," the robotic yet feminine voice of EDI announced from her spot in the cockpit.

"Thank you, EDI," Shepard said. He gently pulled his hand from Tali's grip, turning to face the airlock and taking a deep, shuddering breath. When the doors opened, there was no time to react before a small body full of energy slammed into him, gripping hard around his legs.

"Dad!" Martin Shepard exclaimed, looking up at his father with a huge smile on his face while strengthening his hold around his father's legs.

"Big man!" Shepard greeted back, somehow managing to break the grip his son had and lifting him in his arms to give him a hug. He almost did a double take at his son. Every day Martin looked more and more like him. The same brown hair, the same eyes, the same face, only younger and without any scars. It was astonishing.

"Hey, John," a tentative voice said from near the door leading to the airlock. Shepard looked up to where Louisa stood, keeping her distance and smiling meekly. His initial thoughts of how attractive she was looking were quickly driven away, remembering Tali standing nearby. He couldn't deny it though, the attraction between Shepard and Louisa had never been a problem. Her rich black hair was tied into a ponytail, the way Shepard had liked it. The clothes she wore hug to her curves, especially her hips. Oh shit, he realized. She looks a lot like Tali. Did I do that intentionally?

"How are you, Louisa?" he asked cordially, putting Martin down. "I guess we should get this over with?"

"Does it really make you so angry to be around me that we can't be friendly to each other in front of our son?" Louisa asked angrily.

"You wanted to talk as soon as possible, I thought you'd want to get this over with quickly."

"Yes but I still want to know how you are doing, it's important that we be friendly in front of our son because…"

"Louisa, you're rambling," Shepard interrupted, and Louisa stopped talking, nervously looking away and biting her lip.

Tali had not believed Shepard when he told her the immediate hostility the two would likely have, but he had not lied at all. The nervous quarian also noticed the similarities between herself and Shepard's ex, and began wringing her hands near her waist. Similar build, similar features, apparently the same nervous demeanor. Would Shepard be this hostile towards her someday? Would he really love her forever the way he promised he would?

"I'm sorry, John, let's go ahead to your quarters and talk about this," Louisa said, making to walk past Shepard and towards the CIC. She stopped when she noticed Tali standing nearby.

Shepard rubbed the back of his head with one hand, while the other was holding Martin's. "Um, I have some introductions to make here. This is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas Normandy." Louisa politely shook Tali's hand as Shepard watched nervously. Afterwards, Martin stepped forward and shook Tali's hand as well, looking up at the quarian with a polite smile and curious eyes. That's my boy, Shepard thought, not scared at all.

After the introductions were over, Shepard whispered to Tali, "I'll come see you down in Engineering afterwards. Wish me luck." Tali nodded, and watched as the three of them walked away, Shepard with his arm around his son while Louisa walked alongside them, smiling at the sight. Tali's fears only grew seeing them, Shepard with a woman he had once loved, who he had helped form another living being with. They were a perfect human family, with a connection between them she could never give Shepard. Tali turned her gaze towards the ground, fighting off the doubts entering her mind.

"You don't have anything to worry about Tali," a voice said from behind, startling the quarian woman. She quickly turned, bouncing on her toes in surprise. Joker was smiling sympathetically at her from his seat. "Shepard told me once why he and Louisa ended up separating, after I made a smartass comment about her looks of course." Tali couldn't help but smile, though Joker could not see. "Apparently they had a huge falling out when Martin was five, because Louisa wanted him to leave the Alliance so they could raise Martin as a normal family. Shepard of course would never do that, and things between them went south quickly. They've never been able to settle that difference, and it only grows worse with time. So as hot as she is, don't worry about walking in on the two of them naked and sweaty."

Thanks for the mental picture, bosh'tet, Tali thought bitterly. Still, Joker had alleviated her fears somewhat. "Since when do you offer encouraging words of wisdom?" Tali asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm not sure," Joker said, turning the chair so that he was facing away from Tali again. "Maybe I should stick to dirty jokes?" Tali laughed, walking away and towards the elevator. She needed some work to distract her right now.

* * *

"You don't understand, this can't work!" Shepard said, incredulous. They had been arguing for ten minutes now. "I can't keep him on the Normandy, I'd have to be a complete idiot to even consider it. I don't have any family he can stay with either."

"He'd be safer with you on the Normandy than on any of the colonies I'll be forced to move to," Louisa argued back.

"That's extremely arguable, and not even worth considering. I'm in the middle of this fucking war Louisa, at any moment this ship could be blown to smithereens and I will not have my son onboard if that happens!" Louisa's eyes shone over with tears, and Shepard immediately regretted his words. Whatever differences they may have, Shepard knew that Louisa cared for him, and talking about the possibility of dying would only hurt her. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. Look, I want to be with my son. You should never doubt that. It's just too dangerous."

"John, please, I do not want Martin to be with me if the colony I'm on gets attacked. What can I do to protect him from the Reapers?" Louisa looked down, wringing her hands in front of her. Crap, something else to remind me of Tali, Shepard thought. "Please, I know our son will always be safe with you, that you will do everything that is even remotely possible to keep him alive. I just want Martin to be okay, and you can make sure of that better than I ever could."

Shepard opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. He knew she was right. He could figure out something. Maybe he could pull some strings to get him on the Citadel? No, that would be too dangerous. The Normandy would be too dangerous as well. Shepard again opened his mouth to protest, but the pleading look in Louisa's eyes was too much. "I'll figure something out. I'll find somewhere safe. In return, you need to make sure you stay alive so Martin will always have a mother."

"I will," Louisa promised. Shepard knew it was an empty promise, more than anyone he knew how sudden one could lose their life, but the words would have to be enough. "Ready to tell him?" she asked.

Shepard nodded, and walked to the entrance to his cabin. The door opened, and Martin quickly sprung away from it. Shepard nodded, knowing his son had been trying to eavesdrop as always. "Come on in, pal, your mother and I have something to tell you." Martin did as told, taking a seat on the couch next to his mother. "You're getting older, and I'm sure you realize what's happening right now around the galaxy. There are some very dangerous things out there, that my crew and I are doing our best to fight. Your mother and I have decided that it would be best if you come with me on the Normandy, at least for right now. Hopefully I can find somewhere safe for you to stay later."

Ever the smart kid, Martin asked, "So I'm not going to be with you or Mom?"

"We will always be with you, honey," Louisa said, hugging Martin tightly. "It hurts both of us to do this, but believe me when I say this is only temporary, and once the war is over we will both come to get you, and you will never have to be separate from us ever again."

Shepard nearly shot a cold stare at Louisa, knowing that even if he survived the war, he would not be able to see Martin whenever he wanted. He had voluntarily given up custody, knowing it was not possible to raise his son while embarking on such dangerous missions, but it did not make the pain of missing large portions of his son's life any easier. The two years he had been dead, and the reaction from Martin and Louisa upon his return immediately sprang to mind, their anger and confusion as fresh in his thoughts now as if it had just happened yesterday. In what felt like a week to him, his eight year old son had grown by three inches, and aged two years, all while he lay on an operating table.

"Why can't I stay with you, Mom? Why can't I stay on the ship with Dad?"

"I wish you could, honey, I really do, but this is the best way to keep you safe. I will be traveling to a lot of dangerous colonies for my job, and your dad is front and center fighting this war," Louisa rubbed a stray tear from their son's face.

"I promise, Martin, this is for the best. Besides, you'll get to spend some time with your dad. Maybe I can show you the special Spectre shooting range on the Citadel" Martin lit up, but Louisa glared at him. "Okay, maybe not."

* * *

Tali could not concentrate on her work, no matter how hard she tried. The poor console in front of her was paying the price for her mistakes, as usual. She did not have a fever to blame this time. The sound of a cleared throat behind her tore her attention away from the console, and she was startled to see Shepard, Martin, and Louisa standing there. She jumped slightly. "Oh, hello Shepard, everyone, um, how did your talk go, did you figure out everything you needed to?"

Shepard smiled at her, and Louisa regarded her with curiosity and a grin. "A little tense, are we Tali?" Tali glared at him, knowing he would be able to tell what look she was giving him. As she hoped, he shrunk somewhat, and Tali took slight pleasure in knowing she was capable of having that effect on the great Commander Shepard. "I'm going to see Louisa off the ship, could you watch Martin for a few minutes until I get back?"

Tali did not understand why Martin was not going with his mother, but assumed they had come to an agreement to let Shepard spend some time with his son. "Of course, Shepard." The Commander smiled, making her melt just a little, and walked off with Louisa by his side. Now left alone with the son of the man she loved, Tali found she did not know what to say.

"Tali? Are you the same Tali'Zorah that was on the Normandy with my dad before, when he fought against Sovereign on the Citadel?" Martin asked.

"Yes, that's right," Tali answered.

"Wow! Dad always talks about how he brought you on missions and how important you were!" Martin's eyes seemed to glow with glee. "Is it true that you hacked a Geth Prime on Virmire just before it shot you all, and almost took down Saren's shields while you and Dad were fighting him?"

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, I did hack a Geth Prime but it was not so dramatic as your father says, I mean it was about to…" Tali stopped when she noticed Martin smiling, holding in a laugh. "Did I say something humorous?"

"You ramble like my mom," the boy said, unable to hold his laughter anymore. Tali began laughing with him, amazed at how she suddenly felt so much more at ease around Martin. These Shepard men have a real talent for making people feel comfortable, she thought with a smirk.

The two continued to talk about basic things, Tali's job on the ship, missions she had been on, things of that nature until Shepard came back, smiling at the two of them. "Just how much have you tricked Tali into telling you, Martin?" he asked.

"I didn't trick her into anything," he said defensively.

"Now I know that's not true," Shepard chided. "You are too much like me."

Tali felt like she needed to come to the boy's defense. "He's telling the truth, Shepard, We were only talking about…" She stopped when Shepard and Martin began laughing. "Now what did I say?"

"You are so easy to tease," Shepard said.

Tali brought a hand to her mask before slugging Shepard in the shoulder, making him wince and grab his shoulder. "Bosh'tet."

"What does that mean?" Martin asked. "Ooh, that's some type of quarian curse word! Awesome!" Tali blushed fiercely, while Shepard laughed loudly.

When Shepard informed Tali of the new developments regarding his son, she had immediately sat up straight in surprise, wringing her hands, unsure of what to say. Martin sat nearby, looking as if he was not paying any attention, but Shepard knew better. His son was a very smart, curious boy who always paid attention to what was happening around him. "Can I talk to you alone Shepard? I mean if that's okay, I won't make your son leave, not that I want him to I just want to talk to you alone because…" Tali stopped rambling by herself. "Please, Shepard."

"You heard the lady, Martin, go wait outside the cabin." Martin was at the door when Shepard added, "And this room is soundproof, so if you didn't figure it out already you won't hear anything listening outside."

Once he was gone, Tali came over and grabbed his left hand with both of hers. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"To be honest, I'm a little scared, but I'm also happy that he's here. With everything that is happening, being in the middle of this war, I worried that something would happen to me before I got to see Martin again. I will get him off the Normandy and somewhere safe as soon as possible, but until then I'll be glad to spend as much time with my son as I can."

Tali was still incredibly nervous about what she wanted to ask, but she had taken the time Shepard spent talking building her courage. Here goes nothing, she told herself. "Shepard, are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked. "We are in such danger, what if the Reapers catch us while we are in a system they control? What if the Normandy is under fire during a mission? How long can your son be safe on this ship?"

Shepard cast his gaze towards the ground, and Tali regretted her questions. "I asked those exact same questions when Louisa told me what she wanted to do," he said. Of course he did, Tali should have known. "Louisa has medical training, and has volunteered to help survivors in Alliance colonies that were attacked or still under attack. It would be just as dangerous for Martin to be with her as it is her on the Normandy, more dangerous in fact. And she does not have the connections I do to find somewhere safe for him. It's not a good plan, but if Louisa can't do it then I have to."

"Of course, Shepard, I'm sorry. I promise I will do whatever I can to help." Tali smiled at Shepard, not caring if he knew it or not.

* * *

Over the course of the next two days, Shepard exhausted every option he had to find a safe place for Martin to stay, none of them working out. When he wasn't locked away in the war room doing that, he was spending every waking moment with Martin. On the third day, Shepard could not put off fighting the war, and had no choice but to leave Martin on the Normandy while he traveled to the planet Cyone in the Silean Nebula. A vital fuel depot had been shut down, and Shepard's help was needed to help a team already waiting for him on the planet while they restarted the facility. He nearly had someone else lead a squad in his stead, until Tali and Ashley convinced him that he needed to be seen out on these missions, to keep the morale of those fighting high. He reluctantly agreed, eventually.

Tali almost always went on missions with Shepard, since the day she had been rescued on Haestrom during the mission to stop the Collectors, there had been maybe one or two missions she had not accompanied the Commander on. She was gearing up for this mission as well when she heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see Shepard staring at her with a hesitance she was not used to. "Yes, Shepard?"

"I have a favor to ask you." Shepard took a deep breath, and Tali began growing nervous. It was not like Shepard to be nervous about much. "I'd like it if you stayed on the ship for this mission, so Martin has someone he likes to keep him company."

"Why?" Tali asked. There had to be someone better suited to watch Martin. Ashley, Traynor, or Garrus, even Joker or EDI. She knew nothing about watching over a child. Did Shepard not want her to go in this mission for some reason?

"I don't know, I…" Shepard shrugged, gazing into her eyes. "I just want you two to get along, and I trust you to make sure my son is safe if anything happens. If you don't want to do this, I get it. I just thought it was a good idea, for my son to spend some time with you without me around."

Tali placed her hands behind her back, bouncing in place as she thought. "What do you mean you get it? Get what?"

"I get why you would feel uncomfortable around my son right now," Shepard said. "He's from another life, a life you probably don't want to be reminded about."

"Shepard, that's not true," Tali said, gazing at the ground. "I, I know you love me, and if we are going to continue in our relationship then it is important to me that someone as important to you as your son likes me. I may be a little young for children and motherhood, but, I mean I want Martin to like me." Tali looked up to see Shepard smiling at her. "Why are you smiling?"

"Look at you, talking about being a mother. I was just talking about you being a babysitter."

Tali glared at him fiercely. "If you spent as much time fighting the Reapers as you did teasing me, this war would be over already."

Shepard moved forward and grasped her hand. "Maybe. Tali, it's important to me too, you and Martin getting along. I want him to like you, maybe he can never feel the same way about you that he does about his mother, but I hope that eventually he can at least come close. So what do you say, will you stay behind for this mission and watch him for me?"

Tali's smile was beaming behind her faceplate. "Of course, Shepard. So what exactly are you going to do as far as finding somewhere safe for Martin?"

Shepard's smile disappeared, replaced by a glum, thoughtful stare. "I don't know Tali. I just don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone that has read it so far. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for improvement, or places you think I should go with the story from here, I am always open to hearing them. Enjoy!**

The soldier in front of Shepard was heavily armored from head to toe, clearly ready for a fight. "Captain Riley, I presume?"

Riley stood straight and salute. "Yes sir. Glad you're here, Commander, it's a real honor to meet you."

Shepard had only just met Riley, but he could tell from their very brief interaction that this woman was the real deal. An aura of determination so familiar to Shepard surrounded the soldier, though a very real nervousness and uncertainty was also detectable in her body language. Cortez chimed in to inform Shepard that two teams would be required to unlock the fuel rods, and one of Riley's men moved the obstacle blocking Shepard from moving further into the reactor. Down a set of stairs, a hazy green smoke, clearly radioactive, prevented passage. They would need to clear it. "Ready your team to hit Reactor Two, Captain," Shepard told the captain.

"Roger that, Commander. We'll cover you until you're clear."

* * *

"You've never played checkers?" Martin asked.

"Is it anything like chess? I saw Shepard play a game called chess with Specialist Traynor." Tali remembered how easily Shepard had been defeated. Apparently it was not their first time playing chess, as Traynor had delivered an insult suggesting she embarrassed Shepard in the game a few times before.

"Um, not really but the board you play on is similar. Wait right here, I'll go get the box." Martin ran over to a spot near the bed where his luggage was tucked away, next to a dresser containing Shepard's clothes. He returned with a rectangular box, seemingly old if the worn condition and various tears were any indication. Tali watched with fascination as Martin took out a board covered in red and black squares, never two of the same next to each other, and then pushed a bunch of black circular pieces to her side of the board. There were white pieces as well, which he kept on his side. "Okay, set them up like I am, same color squares and same arrangement."

Tali did as told, growing fascinated. So far the game did remind her of chess. Once all the pieces were set up, Martin moved a piece forward diagonally. "The goal is to capture all of your opponent's pieces, or block all their pieces so they can't move. That's never happened in a game I've played, someone always captures all the pieces first. You capture an opponent's piece by jumping over it with one of your pieces, like this." Martin took one of her pieces and moved it to a space diagonal to the piece he moved forward, and used his piece to jump over hers. "You want to try and capture all my pieces that way, and I'll be trying to do the same. It's like chess in that you have to plan your moves ahead of time, way ahead of time to be really good." The pieces used for the example were returned to normal. "Well, ready?"

* * *

"Two more, ten o'clock!" Shepard shouted above gunfire and the inhuman howls of the Reaper husks. "Garrus, stay back and provide cover! Ashley, watch to our left, Marauders are kicking our asses from that vantage point, take them the fuck out!" They had appeared again after Shepard restarted the reactor, human husks and Marauders, one after another. Destroying various barrier generators had helped tip the battle in their favor after a tense beginning, where Garrus had nearly been overrun by five husks before Shepard and Ashley put them down.

"Commander, I'm pinned down here!" Ashley yelled, taking cover and occasionally taking a pop shots in the direction of two steadily advancing Marauders.

"Garrus! Ten o'clock!" Three shots later, and the two Marauders were down. Four more husks had managed to gain ground, but well timed fire by Ashley put down two while Shepard neutralized the other two with headshots. They were clear for now.

"Commander! We're in trouble over here!" Riley said over the radio. "We could sure use the help!"

"Garrus, get over there now!" Shepard ordered.

"On my way." The turian ran as fast as he could in the direction of the Captain's beleaguered squad.

* * *

"I lost again, Bosh, er, I mean, darn it." Tali was trying her best not to use that word in front of Martin, even though he had no idea what it meant.

Martin, of course, just laughed, and the two began setting their pieces up again. "Can I ask you something, Tali?"

"Of course."

"Are you and my dad, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Tali had expected the question at some point, but still found herself flustered, hands suddenly performing their familiar wringing motion. "Well, Martin, um, your father and I are interested in each other, I mean yes we have been in a relationship for around a year now."

Martin hardly reacted, which only made Tali more nervous. "You know, you remind me of my mom. I can see why dad likes you. I kind of figured you two liked each other, you've spent so much time together since I've been here."

"Thank you, Martin. I love your father, he's done so much for me, for no other reason than he's just that good a person." Tali smiled behind her mask. "I hope it doesn't upset you, that we are together."

Martin shrugged, moving his first piece forward. "Mom and dad haven't been together for years now. I used to wish they would get back together, but I know they won't. Dad has never had any real girlfriend since mom, I'm glad that you make him happy."

Tali was blushing now, her face feeling as if it was on fire. Her smile was so wide she probably looked like a clown from the human circus under her helmet. "I'm glad I make him happy too, because he makes me happier than anyone I've ever met." Tali made her first move on the checkers board.

* * *

Shepard was crouched beside a staircase, not daring to make a sound. He looked across to the other side of the staircase, where Ashley was waiting as well, gripping her assault rifle tightly. Shortly after Shepard had sent Garrus to help Captain Riley, the chamber door leading to the inside of the reactor had opened up to reveal a Brute flanked by two Marauders. Shepard and Ashley had made relatively easy work of the Marauders, but the Brute was proving to be an entirely different matter.

A low growl came from the direction of the top of the stars, and Shepard signaled for Ashley to get ready. She nodded, adjusting her grip on her assault rifle. Shepard pulled an incendiary grenade, and on the count of three stood up, finding the Brute twenty feet away and tossing the grenade perfectly at it's legs. While the grenade was in the air, he also used his omnitool to send a high explosive plasma round at the Brute. Combined, the two blasts had the intended effect of setting the monster ablaze, hard, robotic shell burning off piece by piece. Ashley wasted no time springing from her cover and opening fire, Shepard doing the same with his pistol. The fire on the Brute's body eventually wore off, but by that time the rounds from the guns had done their job and sent the Brute to the ground, where it struggled to get up. Thick, unnatural blood flowed freely from various wounds, but still the monster continued its struggle, crawling towards the two Alliance soldiers. A few more seconds of fire, and the beast eventually stopped, roaring its pain before falling dead.

"Captain Riley, respond! Are you alright?" Shepard asked.

"Just barely, but we made it," came the response.

"How about Garrus?"

"I'm fine Commander," Garrus said, sounding cool and calm as always. "We're all clear, waiting near the front of the facility."

Shepard smiled. "Good job everyone. Captain Riley, I'll meet you there."

Garrus was leaning against a wall, smugness evident as he waited. Captain Riley stood with her squad, discussing something. She turned to greet Shepard when he approached. "I appreciate your help Commander. We would have been overrun if not for Garrus here."

"Just another day at the office," Garrus said. "Well, whatever the equivalent of an office is for us anyway."

"My men and I can handle everything from here," Riley said, offering her hand. Shepard shook it. "It was a real honor to see you in action, Commander Shepard. If anyone can win this war, it's you."

"You're a hell of a soldier yourself, Captain. We will win this, no matter what it takes." The two soldiers nodded their respects, and Shepard led his squad back towards the waiting shuttle.

* * *

Martin watched with fascination as Tali worked, every so often asking a question that she would answer as briefly and as easily understandable as she could. He was a smart kid, and seemed to understand what she was saying. Then again, maybe he was only being polite. She was in the middle of explaining the inferiority of ships on the flotilla when they found out Shepard had completed his mission, and his squad was on the way back. "Let's go wait for him," Martin said, and they walked towards the elevator.

Tali smiled as the boy ran ahead of her. She was finding she quite liked Shepard's son. They were so much alike, it was hard to believe Shepard had not spent more time with his son. Just like his father, Martin was humorous, calm, intelligent, and did not judge others before he knew them. Not once did he show any sort of prejudice towards Tali for being a quarian, and in fact seemed quite interest when she began telling him about the Flotilla, showing the same genuine curiosity Shepard had when first learning about Quarian culture. Even when she rambled on and on, he was polite and continued asking questions.

Eventually Martin's questions had ceased, and Tali had managed to get in a few of her own, mainly about Martin's hobbies and interests. She found out that Martin had once expressed his interest to follow in his father's footsteps, which his mother was vehemently opposed to and Shepard had calmy discussed with him, convincing Martin that it was not a life he would choose for his son. Martin's interests had since migrated to simply wanting to explore the universe. He explained that he just wanted to go out in the galaxy and learn all there was to know about everything. Tali remembered having those same thoughts before her Pilgrimage.

The two of them were alone in the elevator when Martin began laughing. "What is so funny?" Tali asked.

"I just remember when my dad first got assigned to the first Normandy, and he brought me onboard. He was so excited as we walked to the elevator and he pressed the button to take us to the lower deck. By the time we actually got to the second deck though, he had been complaining about how slow the elevator moved for almost a minute.

Tali began laughing along with the boy, remembering the same complaints coming from Shepard. "They were so slow," Tali said. "Keelah, everyone on the ship complained. It was awful. I guess it was a good thing though, I would get angry about something and storm off to confront someone, only to completely lose my nerve by the time I actually reached a different deck of the ship."

Martin shook his head as he laughed, staring at the ground. "I'm glad my dad likes you, Tali." he said.

She was caught completely off guard, and turned to face the boy. "I, um, thank you, that means, that means a lot to me." Keelah, I can't believe how well this is going, she thought. Of course Shepard's son would be this great. Once the elevator opened on the fifth deck, Martin hurried forward, leaving Tali behind. Traynor smiled and waved as he ran by, and did the same towards Tali. Tali liked Traynor. They were both awkward geniuses with an appreciation for technology. Others may not appreciate or understand the conversations they had, but Tali did not particularly care. She waved back, wondering what Traynor was doing down here, and walked over to where Martin was sitting, joining him on the ground.

* * *

Now that the mission was over, Shepard's thoughts immediately returned to his son. Besides the still torturous thoughts about what exactly he was going to do with him, he was also worrying about whether Martin and Tali had been getting along. Martin was usually well behaved, but sometimes he could be pushy and Tali would probably be desperate for Martin to like her. Shepard hoped that hadn't led to the boy being allowed to do something he knew he should not. Garrus and Ashley sat quietly across from him in the shuttle, watching him. "What is it?" Shepard asked. Neither said anything. "Come on, I can see both of you want to ask something, go ahead."

Ashley, of course, was the one to speak up. "Well, Shepard, the crew has been talking, and we're wondering if you have any ideas about what you're going to do with your son. It's clearly bothering you."

"We aren't trying to push him away," Garrus said, butting in. "But you understand the risks, and having your son on board will make you second guess the hard decisions you will need to make."

"What are you saying, I should just kick him off the ship?" Shepard asked, harsher than he intended.

"Of course not. We want to help, so your focus can get back to stopping the Reapers, where we need it."

He could use the help, Shepard knew that. "Do others have some real suggestions to make? I'm certainly willing to hear them." Both Garrus and Ashley stayed quiet. "I'll tell you what, think about it, and if you have a real suggestion to give me, I'll hear them. If all you are going to do is question my ability to fight this war, then I suggest you can it. Understood?"

"Yes, Commander," Ashley said.

"Sorry, Shepard," Garrus apologized.

Shepard leaned back against the wall of the shuttle. "Don't be sorry. I've never had a problem with my crew voicing concerns, especially if they concern my decisions or abilities. But I've answered your question. If you can find someone and somewhere safe for Martin to go, I want you to tell me, even if it's just a possibility. Because I don't have a fucking clue what I'm going to do."

All three soldiers were quiet for the rest of the shuttle trip back to the Normandy, and when they docked in the hangar Shepard had made a mental note to talk to both Garrus and Ashley individually at some point. He knew he had been far too harsh, and needed to make it clear he appreciated the offer they had made. As he expected, Martin was sitting nearby and jumped up when Shepard exited the shuttle. Tali was there too, and it made Shepard smile at the sight of the two of them waiting for him.

"How was it, dad?" Martin asked. "Did everything go okay?"

"Of course, piece of cake," Shepard said. "How about you? Did you and Tali manage to entertain each other while I was gone?"

"Yeah, she's really smart and fun to be around," Martin said, Tali stopping where she was after he said it.

Shepard smiled again, imagining the blush creeping onto Tali's cheeks at that moment. He had to fight the urge to exhale loudly in relief. "Your son is very good at checkers, Shepard," Tali said, moving to stand next to him. She used her hand to brush off a smudge spot on his armor.

"That he is. I'm going to go get cleaned up, and then you are off babysitting duty. Martin, stay out of trouble until then." The boy nodded, and Shepard continued to smile as he walked to the elevator. Ugh, elevators, he thought.

* * *

Tali was sucking down a bland tube of nutrient paste for dinner, completely lost in her thoughts. She had been thinking all day about how to approach Shepard with what she was thinking, his possible reaction completely unknown. Tali did not like to do anything without knowing the consequences, it was a natural part of being an engineer. When someone worked with highly advanced technology required to keep a couple dozen people alive, that person simply could not ever do anything without knowing exactly what would happen, down to the minutest details. Considering Tali had grown up knowing this would be her life, that philosophy had seeped into her every action, professionally and personally.

It had nearly stopped her from ever having her current relationship with Shepard. If not for that damned fever dimming her wits, she would never have blurted out that stuff about suit linking and trusting Shepard, and the two of them would likely never have discovered their shared interest in each other. It was only because she spoke up that they were together now, and only through speaking up had she gained the life she had now. Those were the memories she was using to psyche herself up, to gain the courage to speak to Shepard.

A hand on Tali's shoulder startled her, until she felt a pair of lips press to her helmet. Shepard moved to the spot at the table across from her, Martin surprisingly not with him. "Why don't you grab another tube of paste and come eat with me and Martin? He has a movie he's forcing me to watch during dinner. Some action movie, you know how kids are."

"Sure Shepard, I'll join you."

Shepard looked at her with that witheringly intimidating stare that told Tali she was being analyzed. Even with a helmet hiding her expression, Shepard seemed to be able to know how she was feeling when using that stare. That was the skill that made him so successful in his life, she was absolutely certain. He only needed a couple of seconds of staring at someone to figure out exactly what he should say. "Why are you nervous?" he asked.

"It's…I…There's something I want to ask you later. It can wait, I promise,"

"I'd rather you tell me now," Shepard insisted. He didn't like it when Tali was hiding something. If he didn't press, she would never say anything, he knew that from experience after knowing her for so long.

"I promise Shepard, later tonight," Tali said again. "It can definitely wait, it's not an immediate issue." That wasn't exactly true, she knew, Shepard would consider what she wanted to say top priority number one, but in her mind it could wait. She needed to run the pros and cons through her head one or two more times before she committed herself to the plan.

The movie Shepard and Martin were watching was already twenty minutes in when Shepard returned with Tali, but keeping up with a complicated story was not an issue with the movie. It was all action, explosions, minor cursing that made Tali look nervously over at Martin a few times, and was completely unrealistic. Tali was not one for movies, not with the ridiculous events that dominated her life over the last three years. She had loved movies growing up on the Flotilla, they were a rare treat showing her exciting lives she would never get to live, but the missions to stop Saren and the Collectors had surpassed any movie she had ever seen. She even got to play the role of the tough love interest for the hero, she thought with a smile while allowing herself a quick glimpse over at Shepard.

The hour was late when the movie finally ended, and Martin had been fighting sleep for the last twenty minutes. Now that it was over, he gave in, and Shepard moved his son to the large, comfortable bed while Tali stayed on the couch watching. She had been awake for around 20 hours now as well, and was beginning to feel the effects. She closed her eyes and yawned, and when she opened them Shepard was standing over her, causing Tali to jump slightly. "Let's go out in the hallway and talk," he said, walking away without waiting for a response.

Tali's hands were working furiously over each other as she followed, and when the door to Shepard's cabin closed behind her she nearly bolted for the elevator. No, just say it, she ordered herself. Shepard stood nearby, waiting for Tali to talk. "So, I've been thinking about the situation with Martin, how he needs somewhere safe to stay, and I had an idea. I'm not sure if you'll like it, you may be completely against it, but…" Tali stopped moving her hands, and stood as straight as possible. "How about Rannoch?"

Shepard simply stood there, expression not betraying his thoughts in the slightest. How infuriating, Tali thought to herself. He can tell my every emotion even with a mask on, and I'm helpless trying to do the same. "It's as safe as anywhere else in the galaxy at the moment, but I don't know who could possibly keep watch over him," Shepard said. "Admiral Raan is the only one you could convince, and I wouldn't ask that of her. Besides the issue of food and water he can consume."

"I was thinking you could provide enough rations and water for the few months he would be there, that is quite feasible." Tali took a deep breath and began wringing her hands again, not even realizing she was doing so. "And I am willing to stay on Rannoch with him, and protect Martin with my life."

That was the moment that caught Shepard completely off guard. He blinked twice, not believing what he just heard. "Tali, what are you talking about?"

"I will stay on Rannoch with Martin, and make sure he stays safe," she repeated, more confident now. "I am completely willing to do so."

"That's crazy, Tali I would never ask you to do that," Shepard said. "There's no way, there has to be a better option. Too many things could go wrong, Rannoch is an important planet, the Reapers would be all over it. He can't eat the food, what if he has to be there long enough that the rations I provided ran out? I can't do this, you can't do this."

"I can do whatever I feel like," Tali said, fire and confidence in her voice. "The potential for things to go wrong exist no matter where Martin is, even her on the Normandy. No planet in the galaxy is definitely safe, but we just defeated the Reaper forces on Rannoch and between us and the Geth, we are quickly making the planet safe. If the Reapers come back, we will protect our homeworld with our lives, and I will do everything that is possible to protect Martin. Rannoch would work."

Shepard couldn't do this. He couldn't lose both his son and the woman he loved. "Tali, I… There has to be a better option. Do you think Martin would agree to this?"

Tali looked down. "I can't say for sure. But he told me he likes me, and I think me being there with him is better than sending him with someone he doesn't know, being surrounded by people who do not care for him."

Shepard asked every question he could think of over the next fifteen minutes. Where would Martin stay, what kind of security could be provided, what defensive plans the Admirals had if the Reapers came back, what kind of entertainment could they offer, everything on his mind. Tali had a satisfactory answer for everything. Finally, Shepard was left with two questions. "I'll have to ask Martin if he is willing to do this. Before I do, I'm asking you one more time, why would you do this?"

"Shepard, I care about your son. He is a wonderful boy, he is so much like you, and anyone that is as important in your life is important in mine. Your son is the most important person in your life, and I am willing to do anything to keep him safe."

Shepard was nearly speechless at the emotion in Tali's voice. He knew from his relationship with Tali that Quarians could be fiercely loyal and protective to those that they cared for, but hearing her talk this way about a boy she had only known for a few days, he did not know how to respond in any intelligent way. "I would miss you. I don't think I could replace your engineering skills on this ship or out on missions."

Tali smiled at the compliment, mainly because of the motive behind it. "Wrong tactic Shepard, I know how good I am and flattering me does not change my mind at all."

"What about us not being with each other?"

Tali again stayed confident. "I would miss you, of course. But you would have exactly the goal you need to not only beat the Reapers, but stay alive. You would have to stay alive to see both me and your son again." Shepard's eyes hinted at his sadness and uncertainty. "This will take a few days to arrange. While we do so, you can both think over my proposal and attempt to come up with a better plan. Okay?"

Shepard nodded, he had nothing to say. He felt a lot of emotions at that moment, fear, uncertainty, sadness, anxiousness, but above all he was glad that he had a woman as selfless and amazing as Tali. "Well, let's ask Martin. Ultimately this is all up to him."

* * *

**Tali and Martin will definitely be on Rannoch by the end of next chapter, so don't worry about me wasting time getting there. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I ended up cranking out this chapter pretty quick, I don't know it just kind of flowed out of me pretty easily. Thank you again to everyone that has read and made suggestions. I had a reviewer that was not sure about Martin's age, I put it the first chapter that he was 8 when Shepard died, so he's 10, nearly 11 now. He may be kind of mature and Shepard-like, but that's on purpose. He is still a kid, and hopefully this chapter will have it come across that he still has moments where he is not easy. He won't ever be a little brat though. Any more suggestions, please feel free to tell me, I'm always interested to hear.**

* * *

Shepard crossed out another contact on the data pad in his hand, sighing as he leaned back in his chair. He had contacted everyone he possibly could, including everyone he had contacted previously a second time. All of them had reasons and all of them were understandable, but Shepard still found himself feeling angry towards them all. It was stupid and he wouldn't actually be holding any grudges. He had really been hoping Miranda could do arrange something, but whatever was happening with Oriana was her main focus and Shepard could not fault her for that. Tossing the data pad on his desk, he walked down the small stairs that led towards his bed, and fell back on the comfortable mattress. A squirming form on the couch caught the corner of his eye, and he watched Martin turn over so he was facing towards the back of the couch while he slept.

Shepard still couldn't believe Martin had agreed to Tali's plan. The boy had required surprisingly little convincing either, he asked a few questions about Rannoch, about how difficult it would be for him to live there, and asked a few times why he couldn't just stay on the Normandy. The actual prospect of being separated from his father and having Tali watch over him didn't seem to be his biggest issue at all, which surprised Shepard. He didn't realize until then just how well Tali and his son had gotten along to this point. Hopefully that doesn't change after a few tense months alone. Things would be tense, there was no doubt about that.

A light knock on the cabin door made him sit up, and it opened as Tali quietly stepped inside. She waved and looked over at the couch where Martin was sleeping. Shepard waved back, and followed when Tali motioned with her finger for him to come with her. Once they were outside Shepard's cabin, she leaned against a rail and asked, "Any luck?"

"None," Shepard said, shrugging. "Looks like we are going with your plan. I'm not going to lie, this will be hard for me to deal with."

Tali grabbed Shepard's hands, bringing him closer. "I know. Communications are up on Rannoch, I've been keeping in contact with the Admiralty Board. You should be able to contact me whenever you are feeling particularly lonely. If I have to force Martin to sit down in front of a terminal and talk to you, I will. First thing I will do once we are settled is send you a message with my extranet address. If I am unable to talk to you, send me a message and we can set up a time whenever you like."

Shepard nodded as Tali talked, feeling a little better but not enough to make a difference. Everything she was saying had already been said. Talking through extranet video or through emails would have to suffice, but it would not be enough for very long. Tali was right, he realized, he had never felt so motivated to not only rid the galaxy of the Reapers, but make damn sure he lived through the process. Shepard wrapped his arms around Tali, hugging her close. She returned the hug, and the two stood there that way for an unknown amount of time. Eventually they stepped away from each other and went back into the cabin.

Martin walked out of the bathroom as they were entering, his eyes half closed and his hair a mess. "I'm kind of hungry, can I go get something to eat?" he asked.

"Sure, we have all kinds of cereal and oatmeal in the mess, don't be shy. Just make sure to place your bowl on the counter when you are done."

Martin scrunched up his face. "Can't I have some scrambled eggs or pancakes or something?"

Shepard scoffed. "You're on an Alliance ship, son. You take what you can get." Martin rolled his eyes and left the cabin. "I guarantee he'll try to get the mess sergeant to cook him something," Shepard said when the cabin door closed.

"Is he like that often about food?" Tali asked with the slightest bit of uncertainty in her voice.

Shepard couldn't help but smirk at her. "My, my, now you're going to have second thoughts. You can still back out, you're not on Rannoch yet."

Tali crossed her arms and leaned her head to one side. "Absolutely not."

"Okay, but you realize that feeding Martin is part of taking care of him? Standing nearby with a shotgun will work for a couple of days, but it won't keep him alive for long."

Tali was glaring at him now. "Bosh'tet."

Shepard smiled teasingly, and grabbed Tali's hand. When she pulled it away, staring off to her right, he raised an eyebrow. Grabbing her hand again, this time more forcefully, Shepard dragged her into his cabin while she reluctantly followed, confused. "Shepard, what are you doing?"

Once the door closed behind them, he activated the lock before pulling her down the stairs. "Oh, I don't know. We're in my room, alone, and we have half an hour or so until Martin comes back, longer if he decides to start bothering people."

"Shepard, you know I can't be spontaneous like this."

"Spontaneous? So that wasn't you the crew was gossiping about leaving Chakwas's after getting a few shots and taking some pills?" Tali turned her back, her hands up to her face, and Shepard knew she was blushing fiercely.

* * *

"Destination in fifteen minutes, Commander," Joker told Shepard.

It was all starting to hit Shepard now, what he was about to do. "Expect a welcoming committee, they know we're coming," he told the pilot before turning away from him. Over near the Galaxy Map, Martin was standing near Sam, and if the look on the specialist's face was any indication, the boy had succeeded in getting her to talk about something quite embarrassing. "Martin, please leave Sam alone," he said sternly.

"It's okay, Commander, I was just, um, you see he asked me about…"

"Sam, I can tell by the look on your face that he asked you something he shouldn't have."

Martin pouted just a little. "Come on, dad, I just wanted to know…"

"Martin, stop," Shepard said again, more sternly. "Come here big man, we need to talk."

The boy followed sheepishly as Shepard led the way into the conference room. The two soldiers standing guard near the weapons detectors both watched with smirks on their faces, and one of them said, "Someone's in trouble."

"Take a seat, Martin," Shepard said, and the boy did as he was told. Shepard took the seat to the right of his son, and turned the chair to face him. "I need you to understand that Tali is responsible for you once we land on Rannoch. She is a good person, with good intentions, and I do not want you making this any harder on her than it will already be."

"What do you mean, dad?" Martin asked with obviously fake innocence. It was all Shepard could do not to smile at the effort.

"Martin, this is not a joke, listen to me. I know you're a kid, and I know you think you are good at getting what you want, but as of right now that crap has to stop." Shepard placed a hand on his suddenly frightened son's shoulder. "You are ten years old, and you are a lot more mature than most kids your age. You know what's happening out there, you know the danger I am in, that we are all in. Tali is doing what she is doing so that she can keep you safe from that danger and allow me to focus on putting an end to the Reapers. Making it any harder on her because you decided you want to push your luck and see what you can get away with would be unfair to her, unfair to me, and it is not the way your mother and I have raised you. So again, I need you to understand that Tali is responsible for you from the moment we land on Rannoch. You listen to her even over me. Understood?"

Martin nodded. "Yes sir."

Shepard moved his hand from his son's shoulder to his hair, tussling it as Martin tried to swat his hand away. "Come on, let's go wake your new guardian up. We'll be there soon. I'm telling you, Rannoch is a beautiful planet. You'll enjoy it."

* * *

A procession of Quarians awaited Shepard and Tali when they stepped out of the shuttle, including the entire Admiralty Board. Tali stepped forward to meet them, shaking each of their hands and giving Raan a hug as well. Shepard stayed back, arm around Martin's shoulders, until Tali looked over and motioned for them to come forward. "Good to see you all again," he said after shaking each of their hands, though he gave Han'Gerrel a cool stare. He still had not forgiven the Admiral for attacking the Geth dreadnought while he and his squad were still on board.

"Everyone, you know Shepard already of course. This is his son Martin, who I requested be allowed to stay here with me," Tali introduced.

Shepard was proud of the conviction in Tali's voice and movements, and even prouder as his son stepped forward and shook each of the Admirals' hands. The boy was clearly scared to death, and was trying his best not to show it. "I have to thank you again for allowing Tali to watch over my son here on your homeworld," Shepard said. "I know that you would prefer she be free to perform her duties as an Admiral."

Han'Gerrel and Zaal'Koris clearly were not very happy, but Raan nodded. Daro'Xen was as always indifferent. "Tali was insistent that she be allowed to do this, and this is but small repayment towards the person responsible for us regaining our homeworld. I would like to speak to you privately before you leave, Commander, if that is okay."

Tali tensed, knowing exactly what that conversation would be about, but Shepard simply responded by saying, "Of course."

The home Tali and Martin would be staying in was one of five large ones recently repaired and made habitable, situated on the outskirts of a larger city by the name of Tikdara, its tallest buildings still stood tall in the distance. Not half a mile from the backyard was a river. When they stepped out of the shuttle that brought them to the home, Tali noticed the large number of geth working alongside Quarians, still working on restoring homes to their previous conditions. "What are those machines?" Martin asked, stopping beside her.

"Those are geth. Quarians have a long and unfortunately violent history with them, but we've recently made peace, almost entirely due to your father."

"I had more than a little help, Tali," Shepard chimed in as he stepped out of the shuttle.

"Please, Shepard," Tali said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "If not for you, we would never have found Legion, and without Legion my entire race would have perished fighting in the space around this planet."

Martin had been watching the exchange between the two in awe, making a mental note to ask for details about this story later. "I remember learning that Quarians created the geth, and they rebelled against you. That's why you ended up traveling the galaxy on ships."

"That's correct," Tali told him. "They gained consciousness and became true AI, and when we attempted to deactivate them they rebelled."

"And you can get along now? You aren't still angry about what they did?"

"Martin, that's enough, you're being kind of rude there pal," Shepard said sternly.

"No, it's okay, Shepard," Tali assured him. "For a long time, I was very angry. All I knew of what happened is what was passed down and taught to all Quarian children. I was taught to hate the geth, that our ultimate dream as a species was that one day we could return to Rannoch and drive them out, allowing us to reclaim our homeworld."

"So why aren't you angry anymore?" Martin asked.

"I spent time around a geth named Legion. He was a part of your father's squad that he put together to fight the Collectors. Talking to him, I realized that many of the things I had been taught about the conflict between Quarians and the geth were not true, that the situation was far more complicated. It will still take time and cooperation for the wounds to heal between our races, and I cannot pretend that what the geth did to us was right, but it was in the past. Today we stand her as allies, and the geth are doing what they can to give us back the same homeworld they once drove us from." Martin simply nodded when Tali was done, and she smiled behind her mask. "I can go into detail later maybe, right now we should go ahead and take your stuff inside, make sure the house is ready."

The help of the geth had proven invaluable in this task, as it proven invaluable in so many other projects the Quarians were completing as they reestablished themselves on the homeworld. All the lighting and utilities in the home worked, extranet access was ready for use, and improvements had been made to the home to make it a safe environment for Tali to spend a few hours out of her suit per day, if she so desired. It was more than she could ever have hoped. Each of the four bedrooms had a queen-sized bed, dressers for clothing, and video terminals to watch shows. Extranet terminals were placed in the master bedroom and the living room.

Tali took in all the sites in awe, fighting away a few brief and sudden tears of disbelief that she would be living on the homeworld, even if only for a few months while the Reaper War came to its conclusion. When she decided to go with Shepard after they defeated the Reaper destroyer, she had resigned herself to the possibility that she would die before she could have the home she had so desperately wanted. Now she had that home, and even with the new possibility that it would only be for a short time, she could only have been happier if Shepard was staying here to live the rest of their lives. Afterwards, she told herself. Once this ancestors forsaken war is over, they would be able to live normal lives her on Rannoch, in this home. Martin could come visit whenever he wants, and would have a room just for himself.

Once all the luggage was in the home, and Shepard had made sure that all the rations he had ordered had arrived, it was time for him to leave. Martin and Tali walked with him to the shuttle, both downtrodden. Martin kicked a rock along the ground, while Tali wringed her hands together, staring at the ground. First Shepard knelt down to hug Martin holding his son tightly. "Remember what I said back on the ship. Listen to Tali at all times, got it?"

"I will, dad," Martin said.

Shepard stood up, and turned to face Tali. She would not look up at him. He placed a hand under the chin of her helmet, making her face him, and looked into her eyes. "Please do everything you can to keep both of you safe. Please." Tears briefly formed in Shepard's eyes, which he blinked away rapidly.

"I promise, I will not let anything happen to us," Tali said, voice choked up with emotion. She wrapped her arms tightly around Shepard, burying her head in his shoulder. "You promise me the same. Come back to me. Come home." Shepard nodded, and Tali backed away. Reaching up, she removed her faceplate, exposing her skin to the atmosphere of her homeworld for the second time. Crushing her lips to Shepard's, she put all the passion and love she could into the kiss. After replacing the faceplate, she said, "Remember that kiss on any lonely nights."

Shepard laughed, and gave both her and Martin one more goodbye hug.

* * *

The ride back to the Normandy was as lonely as Shepard had felt since those horrible days after his trial, when he had spent twenty two hours a day in a small room, knowing the Reapers were coming and being unable to do anything about it. He couldn't talk to his friends, he couldn't talk to his superiors, and if not for the encrypted extranet addresses Tali had created for the two of them during the Collector mission, he wouldn't have been able to contact her either. Now he had to leave his son as well. The urge to punch the wall of the shuttle nearly overwhelmed Shepard before he managed to calm himself.

Admiral Raan was waiting near the Normandy when Shepard exited the shuttle, and the promised conversation with her came back to his mind. "We can talk in private on the Normandy, unless you want to stand out here."

"Standing out here will serve just fine," Raan said icily. It was a tone Shepard had never heard from her, but he had been expecting such an attitude. Until now, she had probably never known for sure about the relationship between himself and Tali. There was likely no doubt anymore. "How long have you and Tali been in a relationship."

"Around a year. Shortly after the trial where I defended her."

"Have you bonded, physically?" Raan struggled with this question.

"Yes."

Raan stood upright, muscles tensed. "Why her? How did this happen?"

Shepard did not flinch beneath the anger of the woman in front of him. "I'll be honest, I'm not sure how it happened. I've considered Tali a good friend since I first got to know her, back during the hunt for Saren. It was never more than that back then, I never really considered her that way."

"She did," Raan said. "Maybe it was only a crush, or a deep friendship she had hoped could eventually be more. When you died, she took it very hard."

Shepard had heard this from Tali before. "I know. I guess it was after I rescued her on Haestrom that my interest in her began. I had seen so many of my friends turn their backs on me, those who were supposed to be helping me stop the Collectors couldn't be trusted, and I felt alone. Tali was one of the few who never questioned my motives, never questioned my loyalty, who stood by me at her own personal risk, because she knew I was doing the right thing. How could I not be at least interested in such an amazing woman? I fell hard for her when I defended her during the trial. Even facing the possibility of losing the only life she had ever known, all she cared about was making sure the Flotilla was safe."

Raan's anger subsided at the memory. She had been infuriated at the charges, but there was nothing she could do. Watching the conviction and skill with which Shepard had defused the pathetic agenda of the rest of the Admirals and managed to successfully defend Tali had made her so happy. Tali had found a captain that she deserved. "I must explain, Commander, for Tali's sake, just how seriously we take relationships. Quarians cannot simply have trysts with someone they find attractive. We never enter lightly into a relationship, if we find someone that we care for, and that cares for us as well, it is for life. If Tali loves you so much that she is willing to bring your son to Rannoch and protect him the way she told me she will, then you need to understand that she needs that same love in return. If you break her heart at this point, she will not be able to just get over it. She will be broken. Shepard, do you love her enough to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"Yes," the Commander answered without hesitation. "Raan, I am not an idiot, and I am not heartless. I understand what I mean to Tali, that she would only take the risks she did for us to have a physical relationship if she truly loved me, in a way that required a real commitment. I did not stumble blindly into this because I'm a sexual deviant that wanted to see her without her suit. I do love her, and consider her the woman I will spend the rest of my life with if given the chance. Such a beautiful, caring, amazing person deserves nothing less."

Raan exhaled, the answer she had just received far exceeding what she had expected or even hoped to hear. "I will do what I can to help her with your son. Tali means well, but I doubt she understands just what it means to be responsible for a child. In return for my help, I need you to promise me that you will come back to her, if it is at all possible. You talk about what she deserves? She does not deserve to have to mourn you."

Shepard offered his hand, and Raan took it. The two shook hands, an unspoken understanding between them. "I've already made that promise to her and my son. I will not die on them."

Shepard had just gotten back on the ship when he received word that the asari Councilor was waiting to speak with him. She needed to meet him on the Citadel, as soon as possible. "Joker, set course for the Citadel. I think we may finally have the asari on board."

* * *

**Well, there it is. Tali and Martin are alone on Rannoch, and Shepard's off to fight the war. Will he keep his promise to come back? :O**

**As a final request, I'd love to get some feedback on whether I'm getting the characters right. This is, above all else, a story focusing on character interactions, and I would love to know whether people think I'm accurately portraying the characters involved.**


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you think of Rannoch?" Tali asked.

Martin stared at her with mouth agape. "This place is awesome. The plants are so strange and cool, I've never seen any like them. And it's so much like Arizona or Nevada back on Earth, desert everywhere."

Tali did not know what Arizona or Nevada were, but she was glad to hear that Martin found Rannoch pleasing to look at. The scenery was definitely pleasing to her. "It's funny, its my homeworld yet we are discovering it together. I've never seen anything like this either. There are stories I remember, but they do not compare to walking around and seeing for myself."

"Has it really been more than 300 years since quarians have been on Rannoch?" Martin asked.

Tali nodded. "We could never come back. We had no chance in a fight against the Geth. The only reason the decision was made to try now is because only now did we have a chance. Even then the decision was hotly disputed."

Martin kicked a rock along the ground, and the rock Shepard had handed her came to Tali's mind. The inanimate object had served as an unspoken promise, one Shepard still needed to deliver on. He will, Tali told herself. Someway, somehow, I know he will do the impossible yet again.

So far things had gone well, though three days was not enough time to know for sure that the situation had worked. Martin was on his best behavior, he was upbeat, and his genuine interest in quarian culture and Rannoch itself provided common ground for the two to bond over. He was a very curious boy, willing to listen as she rambled on and on. Every day they had walked off in another direction from the house, discovering the world around them, taking in the sights and trying to memorize every rock formation, every plant type, every animal large and small, every rare stream or oasis. The second day they had even found a cave at the bottom of a ridge, and inside found the skeleton of some monstrous animal, fifteen feet tall and with bones three times the width of a human or quarian skeleton. Tali had gotten slightly freaked out at the sight. Anything that killed something that big was not something Tali wanted to run into.

With their walk for that day done, and a few new plants and fruits to bring back and study, Tali and Martin headed back to their house. Martin went in his room, while Tali checked the extranet terminal for any urgent messages. Despite her dedication to keeping Martin safe, she knew it was not possible to be on Rannoch and not perform at least some of her duties required to help settle her people on their homeworld. So far that had only consisted of helping bring back samples for scientists to study, and an hour or two meeting with her fellow Admirals. During that time, Martin would be with her, though not actually attending the meetings with her. Tali had briefly considered finding someone who could stay home with Martin to watch him, but decided she felt safer having Shepard's son in the building with her.

None of the first page of messages Tali saw were anything urgent, and she did not want to go through and answer them at the moment. It wasn't until she reached the middle of the second page that she jumped slightly. Shepard had yet to contact her since he left Martin in her care, the message she was seeing at that moment was the first. She opened it and began reading.

_Hey Tali. Sorry I haven't contacted you until now, but it's been hectic. Thessia is under attack, and I'll probably be on the ground by the time you read this. Apparently the asari might have something that can help us figure out what the Catalyst is, and the asari councilor is willing to let me have that information in return for helping repel the Reaper attack on her homeworld. This damned fight is almost over, I can feel it. _

_How's Martin? Not driving you crazy, I hope. I can't tell you how much I miss both of you. I went months without being able to see either of you, finally get you both back, and then you are gone just like that. I know it was necessary, and I can't explain how grateful I am that you have taken this responsibility, but I miss you. These Reaper bastards would be better off running now than getting between me and you two. You better believe that._

_I love you Tali, tell Martin I love him too. Keelah se'lai. _

Tali closed the message, taking a few deep breathes to calm herself. As happy as she was to hear from Shepard, her worry about Thessia was overriding that happiness. Not just because of the danger Shepard would be in, but also because she wished she was there to provide comfort to Liara. Tali and Liara may not have been the closest of friends throughout their time knowing each other, but they were friends, formed through the harshest of circumstances. Shepard would handle it, she told herself, he would make her feel better. Opening up a new message so she could reply, Tali began typing away.

_Thank you for the message, Shepard. Martin has behaved just fine, in fact we have gotten along very well. Keelah Shepard, Rannoch is amazing. Martin and I go for walks every day to find plants, fruits, and stuff to analyze, and it always overwhelms me that I am walking around on my homeworld, that I am living here. I cannot thank you enough._

_I am sorry to hear about Thessia. I wish I was there to help you. Please tell Liara that I am hoping for all the best. You will win this Shepard. I know you will. If you ever lose faith, or question yourself, you remember that we believe in you. Give those Bosh'tet Reapers hell. _

_I love you, Shepard. I love you so much. Come home to us._

Tali paused briefly before sending the message, wondering how the mission on Thessia had gone. Hopefully Shepard would send her a message soon. She continued scrolling through her messages, answering the important ones as she saw them. She would need to bring the samples she had collected to the nearest lab later. Maybe her and Martin could find something fun to do afterwards.

* * *

The look on Liara's face told the entire story. The asari was still fighting, still giving everything she had, but her hollow eyes revealed the truth they all were facing. They could not stop the Reapers, and Thessia would be lost. If they did not hurry, it was possible they would lose out on the beacon as well. The Marauders and Cannibals were a seemingly never ending wave, but Shepard's squad had made progress. Outpost Tykis was up ahead, under heavy fire. He ran forward as an asari commando sprinted towards him, trying to outrun the fire coming her way and get to cover. She succeeded at finding some at the bottom of a set of stairs. Shepard approached her, while Liara and Ashley formed up behind him. A brief look back at them showed that Liara was seemingly in a trance, Ashley doing her best to keep her spirits up.

"I'm looking for Outpost Tykis!" Shepard yelled over the cacophony of gunfire and explosions.

"You're looking at it," the asari responded.

This can't be it, Shepard responded. "What about the rest of your squad?"

"All dead. We tried to punch through to the scientists. I'm all that's left." The asari looked towards the ground, eyes distant, angry, without hope. "We had support from a couple gunships, but that Reaper made it too dangerous."

"We need those gunships, soldier," Shepard said. "We have no chance of reaching the temple otherwise."

The asari looked at Shepard as if he was crazy. "Fine, fuck it. Talon Swarm, this is Outpost Tykis! If any of you are still out there, we need you over here, now! Commander Shepard is here, and he needs a path cleared to Athame's Temple!"

"Roger, this is Talon One. On my way."

"This is Talon Five, I'm inbound."

The two gunships flew overhead, stopping above the crowd of husks ahead and opening fire. Marauders and Cannibals fell left and right, arms separated from their corpses, skulls caved in, but still there were more. A group of Ravagers fired on one of the gunships, impacting the tail of one and sending it careening downwards. A large explosion followed the impact, and Shepard watched as both Liara and the asari commando closed their eyes, grief washing over them. "This is Talon Five, whatever the hell you're going to do you better do it now!" More hostiles crawled out of the wreckage ahead, including a banshee. Shepard gripped the submachine gun in his hands, a newfound resolution in his mind. These fuckers were going to pay.

* * *

Tali had known the news would be bad when she heard Raan's voice. Raan typically displayed little emotion when she talked, and to hear such hesitation and uncertainty could only mean that something had happened to truly upset her. When the knock on the door came, Tali took a deep breath before answering. "Hello Auntie Raan," she greeted.

"Hello, Tali. No hug?"

Now Tali was nearly frightened. She hesitantly moved forward to give Raan a brief hug. "Come take a seat, please." The two women settled themselves on the couch. "What happened?" Tali asked.

Raan glanced down before meeting Tali's eyes. "We've received word that the Reapers have taken Thessia."

Tali's eyes widened in fear. "Shepard?"

"He's fine. But with Thessia fallen, Palaven's defenses pulled away in preparation for the fight on Earth, and every species in the galaxy on the defensive, it is only a matter of time before the Reapers are here on Rannoch. When they arrive, we need to be ready to hold them off, for however long it takes to complete the Crucible."

The news was bleak, but Tali was too relieved to feel the fear she should have. Shepard was alive, and as long as he stayed alive the galaxy had a chance. "What do you need from me?" Tali asked. The Reapers would not take her home.

"That's my Tali," Raan said proudly. "I convinced the Admiralty Board that your guardianship of Shepard's son should stay your main duty, but you will be needed to help build our defenses. The geth have restored some of our anti-air guns from before the war, but there is still plenty of work to be done. You will not have to travel outside the city. As one of our most capable engineers, however, there are few more capable of repairing and improving on our defenses. You will need to help, as much as possible. Maybe bring Martin along so that you can keep an eye on him and teach him a thing or two."

"Of course, whatever I can do to help, Auntie." The two women continued to talk for a few more minutes, and when Raan left Tali made a beeline for the extranet terminal. Not that she didn't believe Raan, but she needed to hear from Shepard himself. When she saw there was no message from him since the first that he sent, she began typing a new one of her own.

_Shepard, I heard about Thessia. Are you okay? Is Liara okay? Please send me a message back as soon as you can. Raan told me you were okay, but I need to hear from you myself._

_I am going to be helping to repair and improve our defenses in case the Reapers come back before you can defeat them. Don't worry, I will not let Martin out of my sight. My number one priority is to keep him safe, no matter what. _

_I love you, please send me a message so I know you are okay._

* * *

Shepard sat at the desk near his bed, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. His eyes were filled with cold rage, his mouth twisted in a frown. He had already talked to Liara, but he been unable to offer much solace. Eventually he had convinced her to focus on helping the refugees fleeing Thessia. It wasn't much help, but it would give her something to focus on other than her grief. Unfortunately, now Shepard was sitting in his cabin, mind focused on nothing but the rage he felt.

They had been so close. The Prothean VI was there, he was talking to it, he was about to find out what the Catalyst was. Then that Cerberus son of a bitch had shown up with his goddamn gunship. Damn that gunship to hell, Shepard thought as he moved his eyes to stare at his desk, mouth twisting even more with rage. Kai Leng had been tough, but he had only been one man. Every time Shepard and his squad would gain the upper hand though, that damn gunship would open fire, forcing them to take cover while Leng's shields recovered. They had still come close to ending the bastard, until he ordered the gunship to destroy the pillars holding the temple upright. By the time Shepard crawled out of the hole in the floor he had fallen down, Leng was gone, the Reapers had won, and things had looked hopeless. In that brief moment, Shepard had come closer than ever in his life to giving up, accepting defeat.

Then Samantha had told him about tracking Leng's ship to the Iera System in the Shadow Sea Nebula. The only planet there of any importance was Horizon, and so now the Normandy was heading that way. Shepard's mind was clouded with vengeance. Kai Leng had managed to steal that data right from underneath him, like a coward, and just like the coward he was had bragged about it afterwards. Just wait, you fucking coward, Shepard thought to himself, next time you will not walk away alive. The beeping alert coming from his terminal told Shepard he had a message. He sat up straight, and checked his messages. When he saw it was from Tali, he immediately opened and read the message. As he read, the anger that had been dominating him slowly bled away, replaced with pride and determination. Once he was done reading, he typed back a message of his own and sent it. Feeling better he left his cabin and entered the elevator. "EDI, call everyone to the conference room."

"On it, Shepard."

When everyone had assembled around the table, Shepard cleared his throat. Everyone seemed to be looking at him anxiously, waiting for the words to inspire them. All except Liara, who was staring at the table blankly, likely fading back into the depression that gripped her early now that she was away from her work. "We will reach Horizon soon. James, Garrus, you're coming with me, so suit up after this. I know that what happened on Thessia can be seen as a failure. I refuse to look at it that way, and none of us should be looking at it that way. We are too damn close to ending this war to let ourselves fall into depression now. We've all lost something in this war. Not just friends, or family, but our homes, the planets we lived on, the colonies we once served at. The Reapers want to take everything from us, and I'm telling you right now that I refuse to let that happen."

Shepard began pacing at the head of the table. "We are extremely close to ending this war. We have repelled the Reapers on Tuchanka and Rannoch. We defeated Cerberus on Mars and the Citadel. We have beaten these sons of bitches numerous times. Now, on the cusp of victory, the Reapers dealt a blow they hoped would make us fear them. They hope we lose hope, because that is how they win. It's how they've always won, and it's their only chance of winning now. We know the objective. Kai Leng has the data we need. We will find him, kill him, and take it. If he escapes from Horizon, we will chase him. There is no where in this galaxy that he can hide. After he is dead, we will finish the Crucible and we will send the Reapers straight to hell!"

Shepard was met with cheers all around, even from Liara, whose cold, emotionless eyes were now filled with determination. Shepard walked past as his team continued to cheer and fire themselves up, walking to the elevator. It was time to suit up and finish this.

* * *

Immense relief washed over Tali as she saw the message from Shepard. She had spent all day working on AA guns and shield generators, and her muscles were nearly numb from soreness. Martin had been a help, and had taken to engineering very quickly. Tali had been happy to explain as she worked, and had actually been able to work at a normal pace while Martin listened, as he understood very quickly what she was doing. He had even helped when Tali needed something lifted up or held in place while she worked. Boredom had kicked in during the last couple of hours, and Tali had been forced to make the boy pay attention to some of the more minute details, but other than that and the soreness her first day working on Rannoch's defenses had gone very well. She was happy just to be doing something. Now that Shepard had sent her a message, she couldn't be happier.

_I'm okay, Tali, angry but still dedicated, still focused. Unfortunately, I don't know how to help Liara. She's toughened up quite a bit since we met, so I feel confident that she will soon replace her sorrow with the same dedication I have. I can't pretend that's the healthiest attitude, but after the war there will be plenty of time for all of us to cry our eyes out and get whatever help we need. _

_I'm happy to hear that things are still going well between you two. Martin is a real technophile, I bet he will love to come along and learn what you are doing. Give him a chance, maybe you'll have someone helpful on your hands. _

_Like I said last time, it's almost over. We almost had the Catalyst in our hands on Thessia, and I know we will soon have it. This war will end then. You do what you have to until then. It will be hard to live on Rannoch if you don't defend it from the Reapers, won't it?_

_I love you. Keelah se'lai._

Tali beamed proudly at what she read. She would have to tell him in her next message that Shepard was right about his son. And of course she was glad to see that her Shepard was still every bit as optimistic and focused as always. It was important that he remain that way for those under his command. She was sad to hear about Liara. Maybe Liara had toughened up, but she was still such a sensitive person, who truly cared for her people. Tali knew she would not take it well if Rannoch was lost to the Reapers, and she had never lived here before now. Losing Thessia had to be devastating to Liara. She wished she knew how to contact Liara personally.

Footsteps coming down the hallway alerted Tali that Martin had finished his shower, and would likely be hungry. When he saw Tali at the extranet terminal, he asked, "Did my dad write back?"

She nodded. "He is okay, still as ready to end this war as always."

A smile briefly lit Martin's entire face, but faded quickly. "So is this it? Is he going to try and take back Earth now?"

"Sorry, but not yet. He says he is close, but not quite ready." Martin nodded glumly. He misses his father even more than her, Tali knew. "He did say that I should take you with me while I'm working, that you would pick it up quickly. Technophile, he called you."

"How would he know that?" Martin asked, confused. "He's seen me do basic stuff to my omnitool, but I've never really talked about how much I love electronics with him."

"He's your father, I'm sure he knows a lot about you." Martin shrugged, and Tali was suddenly confused herself. Why did Martin think Shepard didn't know him? "Is there some reason you don't think Shepard is aware of your interests?"

"He's not exactly around me very often," Martin said sadly. "I know he would be if he could, and he is on important missions, but he still isn't there."

"Martin, you have to know that if he could be around you all the time he would."

"Maybe. It sucks though, people think it is awesome to have the great Commander Shepard as a father, but I wish he was just my dad. I wish he was there to talk to when I'm mad at mom or want to ask him something I don't want to ask anyone else."

Tali approached Martin and put a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her away gently. "I'm sorry, Martin. I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable. I never should have brought it up."

"Why are you doing this? I like you, Tali, but are you only being nice to me because you are trying to look good for my dad? Why would you just decide to bring me here when you knew me for a day?"

Tali was overwhelmed. She didn't know what to say, what would make Martin angrier, what he wanted to hear. "I, um, you see…" Tali could see Martin getting angrier with every second that she did not answer. "Martin, your father is the most important person in the world to me. He is the kindest, strongest, fairest, most amazing person I've ever met. When he decided that he wanted to be with me, even knowing how difficult it could be, it was the happiest moment of my life. Anything important to him is important to me as well, and you are the most important aspect of your father's life. Nothing means more to him."

Martin rolled his eyes. "I don't believe that. The Alliance and his missions are more important. That's why you brought me here, and he didn't do it himself. He's too busy saving the galaxy, again. And when this is over, he'll have to save the galaxy from something else. There's always something else."

"And what do you think makes him so determined to save the galaxy?" Tali asked, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder again. This time Martin did not shrug her away. "Everything he has done is to make life safer for you. Your dad is the best person any race has to offer in this fight. If he wasn't out there, we would not be able to win. He doesn't want to fight. He has to fight. You are by far the most important person in his life. Before I ever met you, I felt like I knew you because of all the stories he has told me about you. He was constantly troubled whenever he talked to you, because he couldn't do so in person."

"I just want my dad," Martin said, voice low.

"And you will have him," Tali promised. "When this war is over, you will have him. This is it, after the Reapers are gone, John Shepard will owe nothing else to the galaxy, and will finally be able to live his own life. You will be part of that life, I promise."

Martin smiled at her. "Thank you, Tali," he said, surprising her by giving her a hug. Tali said nothing, hugging the boy back, both extremely joyful yet feeling sad at how Martin had viewed his relationship with his father. She was determined to make make sure Shepard changed that.

* * *

**Almost time for Earth! I'm telling everyone ahead of time that I am not even going to touch the ghost kid. I hate the ending, I hate the Catalyst, and I don't care to try and make my own sense of it. I'll cover the battle for Earth up to the beam, and then skip past everything else. I'm going with Destroy since it's the only one where Shepard lives. I guess I could try Refuse, but I really don't want to make my own way that the galaxy beats the Reapers.**


	5. Chapter 5

Sanctuary was burning. Whatever truce might have existed between Cerberus and the Reapers did not seem to be intact, as Shepard watched a Harvester shoot down a Cerberus shuttle. Dead bodies littered the ground, husks, Cerberus, even some innocent civilians that had only been seeking safe haven after being driven from their homes. If Shepard's heart had not already been steeled through witnessing so much death, he would have wept for them. Garrus and EDI followed behind him as they entered the building ahead. They had not gotten far before Cerberus agents came at them. Shepard dove into cover, popping up to take a few shots and keep the approaching hostiles at bay. "Garrus, overload the shields at two o'clock and provide cover from long range! EDI, come with me!"

"You got it, Shepard," Garrus said, already bringing down hostiles with deadly accuracy.

"With you, Shepard," EDI said.

Shepard led the way as they moved closer, taking down the Cerberus soldiers with brutal efficiency. On any other day Shepard would approach this situation with a more cautious tactical manner, but he was fueled by determination and rage. They needed to catch Kai Leng before he had a chance to escape, and every person that got in his way was nothing more than an obstacle to be removed in the quickest way possible. In a manner of minutes, all the hostiles in the room lay dead, and Shepard was moving through a doorway, EDI and Garrus taking up the rear. "Wait, Shepard, do you hear that?" Garrus said.

The determined and focused Commander was about to tell Garrus to keep moving, when he heard the voice speaking on the terminal as well. He approached it, waiting for the message to play back. Despite the poor quality of both the sound and video, it would have taken an idiot not to realize it was the woman on the security footage was Miranda. "What is she doing here?" Garrus asked. Shepard had no answer.

* * *

It was hard for Tali to suppress her laughter as she watched Martin nod off in the most awkward of positions. He was sitting on the ground, leaning backwards against the AA gun she was working on. Only half his body was actually supported, and the other half was twisting to the left as he nodded off. When he finally fell over, face first into the dusty soil, he awakened with a jolt and darted his head around, trying to figure out what had happened. Tali couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, and Martin avoided her gaze, turning red in embarrassment.

Poor kid. He had barely been able to wake up this morning, and she had been tempted to just let him sleep. Unfortunately, everyone was so busy helping restore defenses around Rannoch that she would have been unable to find someone to watch him. She had not asked much of him that day, but Martin had still tried to help, helping lift and carry and holding bundles of wire out of the way so Tali could work unabated on whatever she needed to. Unlike the day before, the boy was completely unable to retain anything Tali tried to teach him, so she had stopped trying fairly early in the morning. He was far too exhausted. The AA gun was the last one to be fixed and improved on in the city of Tikdara, and Tali harrumphed in triumph as she closed the panel and activated it, running a diagnostics of the system and making sure everything was intact.

When they arrived home, they both begin packing everything they would need while away from home for the next few days. Tali smiled at the fact that she already thought of this house as home. She went to Martin's room when she was finished packing, only needing some tool and a spare suit, and found the boy sprawled out on the bed. A suitcase was open next to him, with three shirts, two pairs of pants, two pairs of boxers and one pair of socks inside. Another pair of pants and two more socks were underneath him as he slept. That would not take long to pack. She decided to let him sleep.

Starving after having not eaten since breakfast early that morning, Tali decided to try one of the fruits from the basket Raan had brought her. Anxiously reaching for a oddly shaped fruit that appeared similar to an apple on Earth, she carried it with her to her room. She set the fruit next to the extranet terminal, sitting and removing her mask. It was only the second time she had done so. On her first night in the house she had slept without the mask, but since then had never taken it off again. Despite being told it was safe, she was only used to removing her mask for Shepard, and the idea that she could took some getting used to.

Tali picked the fruit up, suddenly nervous about taking a bite. She had not eaten anything solid since a month before she left on her Pilgrimage, and she honestly could not even remember what that had been. It seemed so long ago. Thinking about it, that really had been a long time ago. The first bite was tentative. The second bite was not. Tali moaned as the juice flooded into her mouth, and she chewed the fruit, feeling the crunch. Nothing had ever tasted so good in her entire life. She could not even focus on checking her messages as she devoured the tasty fruit in her hands. The juice was beginning to run down her mouth and stain her skin, squirting from the fruit directly onto her gloves as well, but she did not care.

A knock on the door interrupted her snack, and she stood up. It was Martin of course, anyone else she would let in the house wouldn't bother knocking first. "Hi, sleepyhead," she said with a smile. She was about to take another bite when she saw that Martin was staring at her, mouth and eyes both wide open in shock. With a start, she remembered her mask was off. Somehow, it had not even occurred to her that she was answering the door without it on. Tali quickly swallowed the fruit she had been chewing and hurried to her desk, where the faceplate was. Securing it back in place as quickly as she could, she began wringing her hands when she turned back around. "So, if you are done packing you can go ahead and place your suitcase near the front door, mine is already there since I don't have much to pack. If you are hungry you still have some of what you ate for dinner last night, I would offer some of the fruit but they are safe for species with dextro amino acids, which you do not have because you are human, otherwise I would gladly share them."

"I'm sorry I stared, I just…I had no idea what quarians looked like," Martin said. "You look just like a human."

Tali nodded, trying to calm herself. She didn't know how awkward this was for him, but it was very awkward for her. Seeing her face was a privilege only John Shepard had been witness to since she received her first suit. Although, this was the son of Shepard. So really, the more she thought about it this was not so embarrassing. If she had her choice, she would never wear this damned mask, and the people she cared about would be able to see her smile, see her frown, never have to guess what she was thinking. Shepard would be able to kiss her whenever he wanted, like he had been able to with Martin's mother. "Quarians are the most similar species to humans as far as physiology. Obviously there are differences, but an unmasked quarian and a human look nearly the same."

Martin absorbed Tali's lesson, as always. After she finished speaking, he rubbed the back of his neck and bit his bottom lip. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be sorry," Tali assured. "You knocked, and I simply was not thinking. I so rarely take my mask off, I somehow forgot that it was not on. I do not mind that you saw my face."

"Okay," Martin said. "I'm still kind of tired. I'll probably just eat and go back to bed. Has dad sent a message since last time." Tali shook her head no. Martin nodded. "Okay, I'll be getting some food."

"Alright, Martin."

* * *

The sights on Horizon still made Shepard sick to his stomach, days later, and based on Garrus's reaction, he was uncomfortable with the situation as well. Even with all the horror stories Miranda had told him about her father, Shepard could only react in shock at what Henry Lawson had been doing on Horizon. The commander could only remember those two he had heard talking on the Citadel, wondering whether they should flee to Sanctuary or not. He hoped desperately they had never gone. Turning fleeing civilians into husks? That could not be justified, even with the intention of trying to fight the Reapers. It made Shepard think back to what Ashley had told him so long ago on Horizon, during the Collector mission. She had warned him that Cerberus was sick, she had reminded him about the experiments they had interrupted while chasing Saren. After seeing what Cerberus had been responsible for at Sanctuary, he had never felt so relieved that he had destroyed that damn Collector Base.

Shepard was sitting in front of his extranet terminal, trying to think of a way to put what happened into words for Tali, when EDI informed him that Admiral Hackett was waiting to speak with him. Leaving the message for later, he hurried down to the War Room. The situation had already been explained to the Admiral. "I wasn't in favor of diverting to Sanctuary, Commander, but I was wrong. We never expected anything like what you found. The slaughter involved here, all those refugees, I can't express my relief that such terrible experiments have been ended. All that, just to study indoctrination."

"Sanctuary needed to be shut down, sir."

"Agreed. No experiment is worth such atrocities." Hackett paused. "Do we have any leads on finding the Illusive Man?"

Shepard smirked. "Miranda managed to place a tracer on Kai Leng's ship. We tracked him right to the Illusive Man's location when he reported back."

Hackett grinned as well. "Good. Then we can take these sons of bitches down."

"Yes, sir. We need to, if we are going to be able to defeat the Reapers. We can't manage much longer with our manpower and resources split this way."

"Agreed," Hacket said. "I've decided to grant your request. When you are ready to take Cerberus down, contact me and I'll give the word for them to rendezvous at a location of your choice. Hackett out."

Shepard did not walk away immediately, staring at the empty space where the hologram of the Admiral had been moments earlier. This was it, he realized. Once they attacked the Illusive Man's headquarters, there would be no turning back. Shepard closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked away. Ashley was waiting in the conference room when he entered, staring out the window at the vastness that surrounded them. "I can't help but think too much when I stare out into space like this," she said. "It's almost all bad, of course, I think about how strong the enemy is, how many of them there are, what they are doing to Earth right now, how many people I know that might be dead. Right when I begin to feel hopeless, however, right at that moment, every time, I think about what we've done already. Killing Saren, destroying Sovereign, and the Collectors for that matter. I think about how we managed to cure the Genophage and bring peace between the quarians and Geth. I think about how we've destroyed two Reapers just since Earth was attacked."

"It's a hell of a lot to think about, huh?" Shepard said with a grin.

"No doubt, Skipper." Ashley turned away from the window. "We've been told every step of the way that our mission was impossible. That the Reapers were too strong, and we had no hope. I've come to realize that's all bullshit, though. We're about to stop them. I know the odds are slim, I know we still face the hardest fight yet when we get back to Earth, but I also know we will win. You'll win this, Shepard. You need to believe that."

The commander shrugged. "I know I need to believe it, but it doesn't stop me from wondering. I need a reminder sometimes."

"Yes, you do. I know that better than anyone," Ashley said. "I like to think that we are friends, Skipper. We've had our low points, but you never gave up on me, never stopped trusting me. You know me. I'd like to think that I know you too. I know you need a reason to fight, a personal reason to fight. I just wanted to suggest that you do what you have to do to remind yourself of that reason to fight. Cerberus can wait. They aren't going anywhere."

Shepard moved forward and shook Ashley's hand. "Thanks Williams. I'd suggest you find your reason to fight as well." He made a beeline for the cockpit. When he arrived, Joker was busy arguing with EDI about something, a lighthearted argument by the sound of things. "Joker!" he boomed, and the pilot turned around as quickly as he could. "Set course for Rannoch. We have one more stop to make."

* * *

Tali had begun missing her house almost immediately. She and Martin had been staying in an apartment building still undergoing repairs, repairs that had been stopped so that the workers could help with Rannoch's defenses. Geth scouts had reported Reaper capital ships and destroyers on route to Rannoch, likely arriving in two days, no later than three. With nearly the entirety of the Geth and Quarian fleets having left for Earth, it was no surprise the Reapers would soon attack in force. Luckily, defenses in two cities had been fully repaired, while Tali and the others working currently would likely be finished with the third and final populated city's repairs at least a day before the Reapers. Still, it was frightening. There were no delusions that they could fight the Reapers off. The coming battle would be one purely of survival, until the Crucible fired and they won, or it didn't and they all died.

Martin had been unusually depressed and withdrawn, only natural considering the attitudes of those around him. The Reapers soon to be arrival was known to everyone, and while it had resulted in quicker and more dedicated work, no one was able to hide their fear. Tali had tried her best to assure those she saw freak out or begin crying, but she was not doing a very good job of showing confidence either. That would have to change once the fighting started. No one else, not even the Admirals, had the experience fighting the Reapers that she did. Many would look to her, and ancestors be damned if Tali would be weak in her people's most trying hour.

Her and Martin's workday ended two hours before sundown. The progress they made had been extremely encouraging, ahead of schedule. All the repairs would be done tomorrow, sometime around lunch hopefully. That was not at the forefront of Tali's mind as she placed her tools back in her bag. "Would you like to get in some practice before we go back to the apartment?" she asked Martin. She refused to call that apartment home like she had been the house.

"Sure, if you don't mind," Martin answered.

Tali was surprised. If ever there was a day she would understand him saying no about the gun range, this was it. "Then let's head that way."

The targeting range dated back to before the Geth had forced the Quarians to flee, as evident by what the targets had been modeled after. Tali had no idea what any of the animals she saw were, but she hoped there were still plenty around to see for herself. Martin was quickly becoming a reliable shot, at least with the targets. He was a very good shot with a pistol already, and had been using moving targets for two days now. After ten minutes of proving his capabilities with the pistol yet again on those moving targets, he turned to Tali with a cocky smirk on his face. "So can I use your shotgun yet?" he asked, only partly a joke.

Tali crossed her arms and stared back. "In your dreams, little boy. If we had another two or three days I would let you get some practice with an assault rifle. Since we do not, I'd rather you are deadly with a pistol then merely adequate with a pistol and an assault rifle."

Martin made his typical pouting face, and Tali reset the targets to begin their patterns again. "Tali, do you really think we can win?" he asked, his eyes never leaving what he was aiming and shooting at.

He's getting really, really good with that pistol, Tali thought with pride. "We will win. We don't have to actually defeat these Reapers ourselves. All we have to do is hold them off and stand our ground until your father uses the Crucible. However long that takes, I promise we will hold out."

Two more shots, right between the eyes of a monkey like creature. Does every planet have monkeys, Tali wondered. "Where am I going to be during the fight?" Martin asked.

"In a bunker not far from here. It's beneath a group of ruined buildings, unassuming, not the least bit suspicious. We know the Reapers target what they the highest populations and most important infrastructure in their initial invasion. This bunker should go unnoticed, and will hold against anything short of a full scale assault by multiple capital ships. Two of the Admirals will help coordinate defenses from that location, while the other three do the same from one of our bases."

Martin stopped firing and lowered his pistol. "You'll probably be in the middle of it," he said glumly. "You've fought Reapers before, with dad. Your people will need you."

Tali shook her head. "No, I've already told them I can do just as much good down in that bunker with you as I can at the base. They agreed, and even if they hadn't I would not care. My people are important to me, but they are not my only responsibility. I promised Shepard I would personally keep you safe."

Martin smiled the most genuine smile Tali had ever seen from him. "If nothing else, I think I can shoot a gun pretty good. Who knows, maybe that will buy us just enough time for dad to beat the Reapers."

"And that's why you're practicing," Tali said, pointing towards the still moving targets.

* * *

The apartments had never been so quiet since Tali and Martin had been there. No one was in the halls, no doors were open, and the only sounds to be heard were occasional muffled cries. It was hard to stay optimistic about their chances amidst so much negativity. If everyone knew Shepard the way Tali did, they would be holding their heads high, full of confidence that if they held out long enough, the Commander would do the rest. When they reached the door, Tali removed the key card to open it from a pocket and unlocked the door. Martin went through the door first, as always. Tali was about to join him when a pair of hands encircled her waist from behind, and she reacted immediately, swinging an elbow behind her and making solid contact. The hands left her body and a thudding sound told her the person had fallen to the ground, and she turned to pounce on them. She froze in place when she saw who it was. "Shepard! Keelah, what are you… I just…Keelah I'm so sorry!"

"I guess it was stupid to not say anything before I hugged you," Shepard said, rubbing his jaw as he moved it around. "That hurt a lot."

"Dad!" Martin yelled when he ran out the door to see what had happened. He ran forward and hugged his father down on the ground.

"Hey big man," Shepard said, smiling ear to ear. "I am so glad to see you."

Once they were all inside, Martin sitting next to Shepard on the couch and Tali in a chair near them, Tali began catching Shepard up on everything that had happened since he had left Martin in her care. It all just kind of exploded out of here in one long breath. When she reached the part about the Reapers arrival, the sudden fear in Shepard's eyes did not go unnoticed. That was when she stopped. "Shepard, if you do not want Martin here when the Reapers come, I do not blame you. I'm sure you could find somewhere safer for him to be."

"No, no I couldn't. We are making our move on the Illusive Man's headquarters when I leave tomorrow, and from there it's on to Earth. Even if I had somewhere to bring him, I wouldn't have the time."

Tali reached out and grabbed Shepard's left hand. "I promise, I will keep him safe. Martin will be in a very secure bunker, in an obscure location. I will be there with him. I promise we will hold out as long as necessary for you to finish this war."

"We'll be fine, dad. I know you will win this," Martin said, with all the confidence his father would have in the same situation. Shepard nodded, a smile briefly appearing on his face. "Besides, Tali taught me how to shoot. If I have to, I can fight."

Tali began wringing her hands nervously. That was not something she had planned on telling Shepard, and Martin realized it when he looked over at her. She kept waiting for Shepard to tell her how terrible that was, that he was too young and he didn't want him involved in fighting in any way. Instead he patted Martin on the shoulder. "That's good. Never a better time to learn than now. So what are we having for dinner?"

"You're staying for a while?" Tali asked, surprised.

"Overnight, if that's okay," Shepard said. "I did say I was leaving tomorrow, didn't I?"

Martin beat Tali to the punch in hugging Shepard, wrapping his arms around his father.

All three were extremely tired after dinner, and despite his best efforts Martin soon fell asleep. Once he was in bed, Shepard came back out to the living room where Tali was staring at the ground, wringing her hands. "I need you to do me a favor, Shepard," she said. "I need you to tell me we will win this. If ever there was a time I needed to hear the confidence in your voice, it is now."

Shepard took Tali's hands, smiling. She looked up at him, and he could feel the frown on her face. "They are as good as dead. They know it. The Reapers cannot stop us now. All I need you to do is hold on. Keep yourself alive. Keep Martin alive. Because when I come back here to celebrate I want the two of you to be the first people I see." The conviction in his voice surprised even Shepard. These two were why he fought, and just being around them was filling him with the drive and the confidence he needed to finish this war.

Tali moved one hand up to Shepard's and cupped his cheek. "Roger that, Commander." The two of them shared a tight embrace. "I can't share myself with you, but I would still like to have you in my bed tonight. Is that okay?"

Shepard grabbed her hands again. "That sounds like exactly what I need right now."

* * *

**Next up: Cerberus goes down, and the Reapers reach Rannoch. Unless those two events require a lot more words than I'm planning, I'm aiming to end next chapter with the beginning of the fight on Earth. As always, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to Director57 for noticing I put Xaro'Den, not Daro'Xen. I knew I should have looked that up, but I was SO sure my dumbass had it right.**

* * *

The Alliance ships Hackett provided had more than done their job, providing a damn near clear path for the shuttle to get to hangar ahead. After Cortez crashed landed the shuttle inside, Shepard rushed out, pistol in his right hand and left glowing blue with biotics. Garrus and EDI followed his lead, rushing behind him and taking cover against a crate near the shuttle. Gunfire had begun coming their way before the shuttle had landed, and continued as smoke began to block the vision of Shepard and his squad. "Garrus, pick off the hostiles on the second floor! EDI, flank to right! I'll try and keep their attention up the middle!"

Shepard's squad sounded their understanding, EDI taking off impossibly quick to the right, pillars and fuel tanks providing cover. Shepard threw one Cerberus soldier that had closed distance halfway across the hangar, and removed his assault rifle to begin firing. As always, Garrus was deadly accurate even with the smoke obscuring his vision, taking out two snipers and forcing another two to take cover. They made quick work of the soldiers on the ground, leaving only the two snipers up a ladder that were not giving them a shot. Shepard signaled for Garrus to keep his rifle aimed, and rushed up the ladder, EDI behind him. As soon as one of the snipers popped their head up to run, Shepard saw their head explode in a mass of helmet, blood, and skull. The other sniper tried a desperate charge, only to be lifted in the air by Shepard's biotics while EDI finished him off with a spray from her submachine gun.

A console was on the other side of a doorway, and EDI immediately went to work, typing away. "Hangar vent procedure in progress," she said, followed immediately by, "Disabled."

"Can you open the hangar doors!?"

"No. I can access their fighter launch controls." Down below, a ship rose from the ground. "Cerberus is aware their venting attempt failed. Reinforcements inbound!"

Shots immediately came their way, and Shepard and crew needed little effort to dispose of them. A larger squad attempted to stop them from reaching the rotation controls for the fighter, but they failed. Once the ship was facing the hangar doors, Shepard hurried down another ladder and launched the fighter, taking cover as it crashed into the doors, blew right through them, and imbedded deep into the station. There was no time to celebrate before a Cerberus heavy mech walked through the opening they had just created.

* * *

"Han'Gerrel's ships and the Geth have intercepted the Reaper force," Zaal'Koris informed Tali. "There are thirty Sovereign class capital ships, and another fifteen destroyers. Three other capital ships and five destroyers immediately broke away from the fighting and are heading towards Rannoch. They will be here in thirty minutes at the latest."

"Are our anti-aircraft weapons activated and functioning properly?" Tali asked. Koris nodded. "What about the shield generators?"

"Yes. Personnel is standing by and ready to activate at our command. We should probably tell them to activate now."

Tali shook her head. "Most the shields will only last twenty four hours, at most. Under heavy bombardment, they won't last more than twenty hours. Every minute counts. Tell them to activate, but not for another fifteen minutes. They only need five to fully charge."

"Are you sure," Koris asked.

"I spend weeks working on these shields. I know what I'm talking about." The words came out crueler than intended, but if the other Admiral was offended he did not act like it. Tali didn't particularly care at the moment. The moment was here, and all she could think about was the fight ahead. She had fought next to Shepard while they climbed side of the Presidium tower, the massive, ancient bulk of Sovereign looming ahead. She had been in the Collector Base when the human Reaper was destroying the platforms beneath them. She had watched as Shepard fought a Reaper destroyer on foot only weeks ago. Never had she felt so nervous, so scared, as she felt right now, in a bunker twenty yards underground, the large majority of the city's non combatants sitting thirty feet away, four hundred old men and women mixed with those too young to fight or crippled. Martin was among them, talking with other quarian children and somehow keeping a smile on his face. If the fight above ground went the Reapers' way, Tali, Koris, and the ten Quarian soldiers assigned to protect them were the only defense left for everyone else.

Tali's thoughts kept going back to the morning Shepard left. As hard as he tried to be the same confident leader he always was, there was no hiding the fear in his eyes, not from her. She knew him too well. Somehow, Shepard had managed to put on a brave face while saying goodbye to Martin, but the fear and uncertainty was there again when it was Tali's turn. There were no illusions in Tali's mind. She knew that there was a good chance she'd never see the man she loved again. If Shepard had to sacrifice himself to defeat the Reapers, he would. Whatever price he had to pay, he would. They were embracing each other as tightly as they could, when Tali pulled him off out of sight. She removed her mask not caring about the chances of getting sick, and kissed Shepard as passionately and lovingly as she could. If that had to be her last memory of seeing Shepard alive, then it was one she could live with, one she could remember fondly.

Martin laughed at something, the sound catching Tali's attention. There was no explaining how he was managing during all of this. Some ridiculous human characteristic that both he and his father had, she told herself. She thought about just what she would possibly do if Shepard did not come back. She did not know where Martin's mother was, had no idea how to get in contact with her. Not that she had any problem with having Martin in her life, but she had no right to keep the boy away from his mother. Tali shook her head, and cracked her knuckles. There was no time for all these thoughts right now. It was time to pay attention. Fifteen minutes had passed, and the shields would be activate now.

* * *

"That's the fucking human Reaper," Shepard gasped. "How is that even possible? I blew the Collector Base to smithereens."

"This does not appear to be the entire structure," EDI said. "Cerberus likely recovered as much as they were able to."

"Even more of a reason to stop these bastards here and now," Garrus chimed in.

They were disrupted from their thoughts by newly arrived Cerberus soldiers firing at them. On the narrow walkways crisscrossing beneath the hanging pieces of the human Reaper, there was little cover, and what cover their was provided little protection. Shepard shouted at Garrus and EDI to move forward, and they bulldozed their way forward, Shepard flinging bodies with his biotics off the walkways while EDI and Garrus fired unrelenting, forcing the Cerberus soldiers on the defensive. They steadily forced the enemies back, climbing up the ladders that brought them to walkways higher up.

When the flow of enemies finally stopped, Shepard looked to his right and noticed what appeared to be the "heart" of the human Reaper. Memories of the Collector Base came flooding back, of the tubes filled with the grey, processed remains of the tens of thousands of humans the altered Protheans had abducted. The soft sound of a body dropping onto the metal walkway barely registered to his hearing, followed by shouts from both Garrus and EDI warning Shepard of the approaching enemy. Shepard turned to face the Phantom, too late. A sword flashed in his vision, taking down his shields when it struck. Another swipe, and Shepard felt the sword dig past his armor into his flesh. Shepard fell backwards, and the Phantom lifted its sword to deliver a fatal blow. It never received that chance, a plasma burst setting the Phantom afire shortly before its head burst apart, splashes of crimson hitting Shepard's helmet and armor. Garrus offered his hand, and Shepard used it to pull himself up. "Let's move."

* * *

"Heavy fire at Outpost Harzel!" Koris said. "Outposts Vari and Land also reporting hostiles."

"Have the fleets provide cover!" Tali ordered. "Get reinforcements to Harzel now, our largest shield generator is located there!" Koris relayed the orders, desperation in his voice. That would be the last time she did not relay an order herself, Tali promised.

The Reapers had come into contact with the fleets protecting the space around Rannoch an hour and a half ago, the space battle only lasting an hour and costing both sides minimal casualties. The Geth had managed to take down two capital ships and a destroyer, while the Quarian fleet took down a capital ship themselves. Unfortunately, it had been at the cost of a third of their own strength. The Reapers had begun landing on Rannoch fifteen minutes ago, and were already inflicting heavy damage The shields were holding in the important locations so far, but Reaper ground forces were proving to be overwhelming.

"Tali, Zaal, Reaper ground forces are advancing on our position!" Admiral Daro'Xen said over the radio being used to communicate from the bunker to the headquarters housing the other three Admirals. "We need reinforcements!"

This is too much, Tali thought. They have no chance in a fight, not with most of their strength helping take back Earth. For a brief moment, Tali shuddered at the thoughts of all those who would lose their lives today. "We will send who we can, but the majority of our reinforcements are needed to protect the generator at Outpost Harzel," Tali said over the radio.

"We will make due, those shields are our top priority," Raan said. "How about the other outposts?" That horrible sound the Reapers made was loud and clear over the radio, followed by the sound of a laser firing.

"Making contact with hostiles, but holding. Some have still not encountered any hostiles, but likely will very soon."

"Outpost Tikra reporting hostiles," Koris said, right on cue. Also serving seemingly as an answer, the bunker shook from an explosion.

"Raan, Xaro, Han, we cannot defeat the Reapers, do not even try. We just have to survive until Shepard uses the Crucible. Hold out as long as is safe, and then retreat to the bunker. We will dedicate all the manpower we have to escort you."

"Roger that, Tali."

* * *

Sparks flew from severed cables in the ground, a few feet away from where Shepard was crouching, firing his pistol as quickly as possible. He sent an incinerating blast at one of the Cerberus soldiers running his way, and he was glad to have the helmet blocking the smell of burning armor and flesh. There was no time to stand around, as Kai Leng was again coming Shepard's way. Garrus and EDI were crouching in one of the areas where Leng had collapsed the ground, exposing the cables underneath. Leng was seemingly ignoring them, the assassin's focus entirely on Shepard. The Spectre would not have preferred it any other way.

Disposing of the second Cerberus soldier running his way with a biotic throw that slammed him into the wall, Shepard ran towards Leng, ducking under the sword slash aimed at his head. Leng's strikes were fast, precise, against anyone else they would likely find their mark. Not against Shepard, not now, not when the Prothean VI was right here, and Cerberus's demise was moments away. After dodging four slashes of the sword, Shepard delivered a punch to Leng's chest, sending the assassin in the air. He landed on his back a few feet away, and Shepard could see the fear on his face for the first time. Leng tried to run, only to find Garrus and EDI waiting for him, shooting his way. The assassin dove into cover, trying to regenerate his shields, but he was cornered now, with no backup. He dodged an incineration blast that came his way, and began running towards Garrus, the nearest to him. Shepard intercepted him, tackling Leng from the side and throwing him into the wall. Unloading his pistol in Leng's direction, Shepard watched with satisfaction as the last two shots produced spurts of crimson. Leng's mouth hung open as he slumped over.

Shepard hurried over to the terminal in the room, typing away furiously to bring the Prothean VI back. The soft clink of metal on metal came from behind, and he knew immediately what was about to happen. Continuing to work on the terminal, Shepard readied the VI. Before he finished, he heard as footsteps stopped behind him. The sword never reached its target, shattered into two when Shepard swung his arm with all his might and made contact with the gauntlets of his armor. Shepard's omniblade easily penetrated Leng's armor. He watched silently as the assassin let out his last few breaths, and died.

* * *

"Shields are down at Outposts Gral and Bikrun!" Koris shouted. "Enemies advancing on Outpost Tikra!"

"Damn it, get everyone left from Gral and Bikrun to Tikra, now!" Tali shouted back. Turning back to her own communicator, she relayed orders to those left from Outpost Harzel, telling them to hurry to the headquarters where the other three Admirals were still holding out. The Reapers had been systematic and brutal, their attacks accurately pinpointing everything the quarian and geth forces needed to hold. Only three hours into the fight, half the shield generators had been destroyed, all but five AA guns were useless, and half their outposts were abandoned, with the other half facing more and more opposition with every passing minute.

I have to hold on, Tali told herself. This was the moment where one proved their courage, when it was hardest to be so. The civilians in the bunker were deathly quiet, except for those who were crying. Tali noticed that Martin's face had gone pale, though he was trying his hardest to be brave himself. Luckily, the Reapers still seemed clueless as to the existence of their bunker and the other two bunkers where civilians were being kept. That would change if they could not at least slow down the Reaper ground forces. A loud knock on the massive metal doors that served as the bunker entrance startled everyone in the bunker, and made a few people gasp out in fright. Two of the guards called out the challenge, and were promptly answered with the proper password. They pulled the doors open, the creaking of the hinges echoing throughout the structure.

Three soldiers hurried inside and helped close the door afterwards. They rushed to Tali and Koris. "A group of twenty Cannibals is moving through the streets, with three Marauders at their head," a quarian in a red and blue exosuit, Len'Narto, reported. "No sign of any Reapers themselves. These are likely scouts."

"We must send a squad to meet them, they cannot discover this bunker!" Koris shouted in panic.

"No," Tali said calmly. "That will only attract attention. Right now they are looking for something important, they don't actually know if anything is here. If we engage them, they will know those soldiers were protecting something and we will have to deal with a hell of a lot more Reaper soldiers, and maybe a Reaper itself." Koris opened his mouth to continue, but Tali turned to Len and continued speaking. "Keep an eye out, but stay hidden. Do not engage the enemy unless your life depends on it." Len nodded, and led his squad back outside.

"Tali, we cannot risk them finding this bunker!" Koris said.

"Having our soldiers fight them only makes it more likely they find us, Zaal," Tali said as she walked back over to the communication equipment. "Trust me, I know how to fight Reapers."

* * *

For the first time in two days, Shepard was able to sit back and relax. Unfortunately, that only left him with time to think, and thinking was not helping him. Garrus, Ashley, Liara, even James had come up to his cabin at various points, all noticing Shepard's melancholy attitude and trying to cheer him up. He had calmly explained to all of them that he was fine, that he was only melancholy because of the downtime before they reached the Charon Relay. He was ready to end this war. The Crucible was ready, the Catalyst, or rather the Citadel, had been moved to Earth and was being used for some reason. Win or lose, the war would end in the next few hours.

Shepard thought about the revelation that the Citadel was the Catalyst. It would be a surprise if the Citadel had not already been proven to be nothing more than a death trap the Reapers had invented to corral the galaxy like sheep into a pen. It was only fitting that it would be the tool used to end the Reapers. The problem was getting on board. Another knock on the cabin door told Shepard yet another visitor was coming to cheer him up. "Come in," he said reluctantly.

Of all the people he thought might walk through the door, Javik was absolutely the last. "There are rumors that you are not fully focused ahead of this battle. No decision was reached on who should come talk to you. I decided to do it while they continue to bicker."

"Javik, there is nothing I need to be talked to about. I'm preparing myself mentally for the fight. It's not unusual for me, and I don't understand why everyone seems to think it is."

Javik showed no emotion, or if he was Shepard couldn't tell. "I have fought in many battles in my life. I was frozen so I could lead my people to victory in the future. I am an exemplary fighter amongst a species renown for fighting. Yet I have never seen a fighter like you. You have an ability to lead, an ability to inspire, that I have never seen. My people would not have lost our fight if we had you on our side. The galaxy you fight for will likely never understand how important you are."

"Why are you telling me this?" Shepard asked.

"Because I see the hesitation in your eyes. I see the fear. I see the longing for your mate, for your son. You must push such thoughts to the side. If you insist on keeping them, use them for nothing other than motivation. You have a chance to succeed where my people failed. You must do whatever is necessary to kill the Reapers."

Shepard said nothing, staring at the Prothean. Without another word, Javik left the cabin. Joker came over the ship intercom moments later, announcing that the fleets had all assembled, and the attack was ready to begin. Shepard breathed deep, and left to go arm and armor himself for the fight ahead.

* * *

Tali jumped, despite the explosion that shook the bunker being just one of many in the last fifteen minutes. All communication traffic had been quiet for nearly fifteen minutes now, and she had been sitting nearby, waiting for the next round of status updates to come in. The emergency lights in the bunker had come on about thirty minutes ago, after the main lights went out immediately following an earth shaking explosion. With no action, she was left to wonder where Shepard was, whether the battle for Earth had begun or not. Thinking over the Reapers' progress so far, and the manpower and capabilities left to their defense, it would likely be a matter of an hour or two before they could do nothing but hide and wait.

Tali found herself standing and walking over to Martin. For the first time, the boy appeared frightened. If Tali could see her face, she'd probably appear the same way. She forced herself to sound positive as she sat down next to the boy and said, "If only your father was here. He'd probably destroy all these Reaper ships by jumping in the air and kicking them." Martin laughed, as she hoped he would. "I know it's tough to stay positive right now, but nothing has happened so far that was not expected. We will be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Martin asked. "Everyone else is so scared, even that other Admiral. What else can you do that you haven't done already?"

"We can hide, and wait. And I am sure we will be fine because I know your father will win."

"How can you know?"

Tali put one arm around Martin's shoulders, hugging him close. "Because you're father always wins. I have faith. You should always have faith in Commander John Shepard, because nothing but bad things happen to those who do not."

Martin rested his head on Tali's shoulder. "You're so optimistic. Is that why dad likes you? I would imagine that has to be one of the reasons."

"I don't know. I'll have to ask sometime," Tali said, laughing. "How about this Martin? You look tired. Go to sleep. I promise that when you wake up, the first thing you will see is me looking down at you, and the fight will be over. Okay?"

Martin did look very tired, and nodded. There were cots in the back, where a few others had already managed to go to sleep. Martin took an empty one, and his eyes closed immediately. Tali smiled, glad that she had been able to meet Shepard's son, and even happier that Shepard had chosen her and made the happiness she had felt over the past year possible. She quickly shook such thoughts from her head. She had just made a promise, and no bosh'tet Reaper was going to make her break her promise. With a newfound resolution, she marched back over to where Koris was standing. It was time to make sure they lived long enough to win this fight.

* * *

**Action chapter! In case there's any confusion, all of this is happening at basically the same time. What will be left of Rannoch when Shepard uses the Crucible? Tune in next time to find out! As always, I appreciate any and all feedback.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Cortez! Cortez, respond!" Shepard yelled over the radio. The lieutenant's shuttle had just flown over, fire and smoke pouring from its engines, before crashing somewhere ahead. "Cortez, answer damn it!" No answer came back.

"These fuckers will pay," Ashley hissed.

"Damn right they will, LC," Vega said, a stare in his eyes Shepard had never seen from the normally laid back soldier.

The ground shook, nearly knocking Shepard off his feet, when the Reaper AA cannon fired yet again. The massive structure came into view at the top of the ramp formed by collapsed rubble, imposing as it finished firing. Cannibals were blocking the way to the shuttle where the Cain lay. Shepard dove into cover just before a projectile from a previously unseen Ravager slammed into him. Ashley and James shouted curses as they opened fire, and Shepard joined them, focusing his fire and tech skills on the Ravager.

"All clear, Commander," Ashley said, after the two Marauders that appeared seemingly from nowhere fell dead to the ground. Shepard wasted no time hurrying over to the downed shuttle, the sight of the dead Alliance soldiers immediately blocked from his mind. Lifting the Cain with effort, he aimed, fired, and watched with glee when the AA cannon collapsed in a ball of fire. A loud crash accompanied its fall to the ground, red sparks of electricity running through the cannon's remains. The call came over the radio informing of the gun's destruction, along with the order for all Hammer teams to land at the makeshift base ahead.

"This is Commander Shepard, my men and I need a shuttle for extraction!" he shouted into the radio. As expected, Reaper forces began converging on the squad's location, a Banshee letting out a blood curdling scream as it landed alongside a seemingly never ending tide of Cannibals and Marauders. "Damn it, take cover!"

The husks never seemed to stop coming, no matter how many dropped dead to their gunfire. The Banshee was replaced with another, and the number of Marauders was seemingly increasing with every husk that died. Shepard checked his thermal clips, swallowing hard when he saw he only had two left. "How many clips do you two have left?" he shouted over the constant, deafening gunfire.

"Three!" Ashley shouted back.

"Two, commander!" James shouted as well.

Shepard cursed under his breath, jumping from behind his cover just in time to put down two Cannibals rushing his way. He rushed towards a Marauder, and was sinking his omniblade into its chest when a shuttle flew overhead, landing nearby. Two Alliance soldiers began laying down suppressing fire the moment the door opened, while a third shouted, "Get in, Commander!"

"You heard the man, move!" Shepard shouted, unable to hide the relief on his face as he began sprinting towards the shuttle.

* * *

"Whatever you do, keep them safe!" Tali shouted. "The bunker is less than a mile away, get the Admirals there safely, no matter the cost!" More reports came in as Tal was still dealing with the squad escorting the Admirals, all of them reporting an increasing number of Reaper husks and Reapers themselves. All but a few shields were down, and a few reports of large buildings in the center of the city being destroyed had come in as well. Their fight was nearly over, and survival was the only option left.

"Two geth squads are reporting a Reaper destroyer taken down by our AA guns," Koris told her. "Another is reporting large groups of human husks roaming the streets, looking for survivors."

"Make sure they understand not to engage unless given no choice," Tali told him. A large explosion shook the bunker, sending layers of dust falling from the ceiling. Tali wiped away what landed on her visor. "Vis Squad, what was that?"

"Ammunition depot," the leader of Vis Squad, Kal'Kotra reported. "About half a click from the bunker. I'm not sure how much longer we can go without engaging them before they find you."

"Not yet," Tali insisted. "I don't care if they walk right by, unless they find the bunker itself don't engage."

"Roger tha-wait, something's moving fast towards your location. Doesn't look like Reaper forces." Tali held her breath while waiting for clarification. Don't be a squad coming here to hide, she begged, don't be a squad coming here to hide… "It looks like Nom Squad. Damn it, they have at least thirty husks after them, I can see two Banshees and seven Marauders! They are leading them right to you!"

Of course, Tali thought, bringing a hand to her visor. "Intercept them, now! Try and keep them away from here! If they lead those husks here there will be a lot more behind them! Move!"

"Roger that, Admiral," Kotra answered. Tali breathed in deep, letting the air out slowly, trying to calm herself. The stress of the battle was beginning to wear on her, and after four hours fighting she knew mistakes would start being made. Keelah, she hoped she hadn't made any serious mistakes so far.

"Admiral Zorah, come in," the radio crackled.

"Tali here," she answered.

"We have arrived at the bunker, and are safe inside."

"Are the Admirals okay?" Tali asked. The hesitation in the voice she had just heard did not go unnoticed.

"Han'Gerrel did not make it. He insisted on staying behind and fighting with his Marines. I do not know if he made it."

Tali breathed in deep again. "Ancestors watch over him. Raan and Xen are there with you, correct?"

"Yes, Admiral Zorah."

"Okay, get out of that bunker and find Admiral Gerrel," Tali ordered. "If it's at all possible, get him in that bunker. If not, make sure they don't lead husks to the bunker."

Gunfire, both near and far, startled everyone in the bunker. Not two seconds later, there was a loud banging at the door. No, no, no, Tali thought as the door was opened. For a brief moment she considered telling the soldiers to keep the door closed, but she could not do that. Besides, it wouldn't stop them from banging, and the more they banged on the door the more risk there was of the bunker being discovered. As if there was any chance at this point that the bunker could stay hidden.

Once inside, Tali immediately recognized Jar'Harrek, the leader of Nom Squad. She stormed over to him, but before she could even open her mouth Koris had pushed Harrek backwards. "You idiotic bosh'tet!" he yelled. "Do you realize what you've done? You've led them right to us!"

Harrek stood his ground, staring right back at the enraged Admiral. "My men will die if we stay out there! I am not sacrificing our lives just to give you all a few more moments of peace!"

"You're going to die anyway, you stupid son of a bitch," Tali said coldly. "This bunker was only safe as long as it stayed hidden. Now that it has been found, we will have to fight them off anyway. All you've done is put us and all the civilians you swore to protect in the danger you were supposed to protect them from."

Harrek stood quietly, and Tali could see his eyes narrows behind his visor. Whether he was angry or crying though, she didn't know or particularly care at the moment. "What do we do now, Tali?" Koris asked.

"We get out there and fight. Get on the radio, tell every squad in the area back here. Get in contact with the other Admirals, make sure the haven't been exposed to the Reapers like us. If they have, they will need every available squad near them head back and protect them." Tali turned to Harrek. "We need to get outside and fight, Marine. Wait here while I grab my weapons."

Tali had just picked up her shotgun when Koris grabbed her arm. "You cannot go out there, you're an Admiral! You are needed here!"

"There's little else we can do as far as strategy. You know what we need to do, just make sure the squads still out there do not lead more Reapers towards us, and try to keep everyone here calm. Inspire some confidence for once, Zaal."

"That is not my forte. Why is it more important for you to be out there instead of in here?"

"Why was it important for you to be in the middle of the action when we took back our homeworld? These soldiers fight for us, and need to know we are willing to fight for them. I have fought and killed hundred of these things in my life, and my presence will inspire them to fight. Now stay on those radios, and don't worry about me." Tali took a quick peek back towards the cots, where Martin was still sleeping. She smiled sadly. "I made a promise to someone that I would be the first person they saw when they woke up. I will come back, and we will win."

* * *

Shepard shook his head clear, still feeling the effects of the now dead Banshee's wailing. The approaching Reaper Destroyer was still emitting it's bone chilling cry, the ground quaking with its every step. James and Ashley were both yelling at him to get up, and Shepard could hear the wail of another Banshee, the cry piercing into his brain. Struggling, he managed to stand and fire off three shots at a charging Cannibal, killing it.

The Reaper ground forces were a never ending stream. Their broken, dead bodies littered the streets and buildings in every direction, yet there seemed to be more than when the fight started. The Reaper Destroyer began firing its beam, the asphalt of the street gouged as the beam cut into it with ease. "How much longer until the missiles are ready to fire!?" Shepard shouted, not even sure where Ashley or James were.

"One minute!" Ashley answered, and Shepard saw her firing her assault rifle at a Marauder. The commander rushed into cover behind a truck as the Reaper beam cut a swath of destruction behind him. Ashley took down two more Marauders, while James used his shotgun to take down three Cannibals grouped closely together.

The husks never stopped coming, and the Alliance soldiers did all they could just to stay alive. Jumping over the dead body of a Brute, Shepard noticed the missiles were ready to fire. Shepard and James provided cover fire as he sprinted towards the console on the tank. As if aware of the danger it was facing, the Reaper fired a beam that Shepard dodged by two feet, feeling the heat of the beam against his armor. "Take this, you fucking bastard!" Shepard yelled, watching as the missiles impacted the Destroyer at the moment it readied to fire again. With a loud, mechanical groan, the Destroyer stumbled around. "Hit it with everything you've got!" Shepard shouted into his omnitool, and a barrage of missiles hit the Reaper from every direction, sending it sprawling to the ground.

* * *

"To the right!" Tali shouted. "Focus fire on that alley!" She fired off her shotgun into a group of Cannibals, taking them all down with three bursts. So far the Reaper forces had come in small, easily handled numbers, but with every new wave the numbers increased. One thing was clear as she watched Harrek lead four others to the alley, her presence had helped morale even more than she had hoped it would. It also helped that a new squad showed up to help in the fight every five or ten minutes, usually right in time to even back out the numbers when a new wave of hostiles appeared.

"Admiral, Ravagers at ten o'clock!" one of the other squad leaders, whose name unfortunately escaped Tali's memory at the moment.

"Pirk squad, get over there! Kotra, you and your squad follow me!" Her orders were met with resounding shouts of support, and she ran forward, shotgun in hand. Two Marauders fell to her shotgun, and the Marines following her killed a Brute to their left. Twenty minutes passed, with Tali in a battle focus she had never experienced in her life. Somehow, she managed to relay orders while she fought, and the bodies piled up around her. Yet the tide of enemies never relented, never allowed them a moment's rest, never lessened even slightly. The Reapers knew they were here, and it would not be more than an hour before they found the bunker. "Retreat, everyone get back to the bunker! We'll make our last stand there!" They still had one last maneuver to slow these bosh'tets down.

Two squads of geth had joined them during the retreat to the bunker, and had helped keep the Reapers back long enough for Tali to ready the charges planted in the buildings ahead. The detonator felt heavy in her hands. This was it. Once she pressed this button, there would be nothing more to do but wait. Every minute could have brought the moment that the Crucible would be used. Although, the more she thought about it the more she could not even be sure the Crucible would work, and even if it did there was no guarantee it would take out all the Reapers. Tali pushed those thoughts out of her mind, immediately. There was no room for doubts.

The surrounding streets and alleys had been collapsed ahead of time, leaving the Reaper ground forces with no choice but to come down the wide main street where the trap was laying in wait. Quarian and geth soldiers numbering fifty were set up in surrounding buildings, picking off everyone they could as they appeared on the street. The number continued to increase. "I'm blowing the charges, everyone take cover!" Tali yelled, and she pressed the detonator's button, watching as explosions rippled through the ancient buildings her ancestors had built hundreds of years ago. Any sadness she would have felt in any other moment was not felt at that moment, as the buildings collapsed onto the street, creating a barrier standing fifteen feet high. Let's see these bosh'tets get past that, Tali thought with a smirk. They only needed a little more time.

* * *

Shepard stepped out of the Mako, and his eyes were immediately drawn to the beam ahead, along with the rubble strewn along the barren approach before it. Ashley stepped up next to him, eyes resolute. "This is it, Skipper." Sadness crept into her expression just briefly. "I know we already said our goodbyes and all that, but I just wanted to say again that no matter what happens, it was an honor. Thank you so much, for everything."

Shepard shook Ashley's hand, a brief history of everything they had been through flashing through his head. "The honor was all mine, Williams. I said it back on the first Normandy, and I'm saying it again. You are one of the best soldiers I've ever served with, and one of the best people as well."

Ashley blinked away a couple of tears. James walked over to stand near them, keeping silent. Shepard turned to face the man he had only known for a few months, and the two shared a silent nod of respect and a handshake. Anderson and the rest of Hammer were ready now. Anderson walked in front of everyone, clearing his throat. "Our objective is that beam. That's our only way on the Citadel, and the only way we will be able to use the Crucible. You do not need a reminder of what's at stake. Run hard, run fast, and don't stop." Anderson was interrupted when the ground shook, and they all turned to see a Reaper capital ship land near the beam. Shepard recognized it immediately. Harbinger. "Move!" Anderson shouted.

Shepard's legs burned as they moved beneath him, making their protests known. Ahead, to the side, behind, Hammer was dying all around him. One of the Makos took a direct hit from the beam, a piece of metal from the tank nearly striking Shepard in the head. A large blood stain was all that remained of a soldier that had been ahead of him ten seconds ago. He turned around to find James and Ashley, seeing that they were lagging behind, trying to keep everyone else moving. Harbinger's beam hit another Mako, sending it flying towards them, and Shepard could not stop to make sure they were alright.

Ahead, Shepard could see Anderson and two others approaching the beam, when a laser hit near them. When it was gone, they were no longer there. A few tears began to form in Shepard's eyes as he ran. Hammer was getting decimated, but they still had a chance. "Watch out!" one of the soldiers mere feet ahead of him shouted, but it was too late. The last thing Shepard saw was red.

* * *

Tali was running low on clips. She would only be able to fight for another ten minutes, at most. Looking around, she saw that those around her were coming to the same realization. A hand on her shoulder startled her, and she turned to see the hand belonged to Kotra. "Admiral Zorah, you should get back to the bunker."

"No, Kotra, I will not leave those under my command to fight without me. We just need to continue to hold on!"

"Admiral, you are needed alive to rebuild more than you are needed to die fighting. Please, we need to make sure as much of our leadership survives as is possible."

Tali wanted to argue, wanted to insist that she would stay out here and fight. Only her promise to Shepard and her promise to Martin kept her from telling the squad leader to get the hell away from her. Instead, she nodded, and followed when Kotra and four others ran ahead, telling her to follow. Gunfire from the Reaper forces seemed to concentrate on them as they ran towards the bunker, a few shots hitting Tali and bringing her shields low. Two quarian Marines fell dead to her left, while a geth sniper fell from a window, a large burning hole in its chest.

Kotra reached the bunker a few seconds ahead, and pounded on the door with all his might. No one answered, and after fifteen seconds Kotra pounded on the door again. "Koris, open this damned door now!" Tali shouted, and finally, after a few more seconds, the large metal doors creaked open. Tali hurried inside, but before they were closed she turned to Kotra. "Keep them away from here, as long as you can. Please."

"I'll give all I can, Admiral Zorah," Kotra said, and the two shook hands.

Tali stared at the ground once the doors closed, lost in thought, lost in panic, feeling more helpless than she ever had in her life. For the first time, the idea that they might lose entered her mind. She turned around, and jumped when she saw Martin sitting against a wall, staring at her with tears in his eyes. Tali smiled at him, only realizing afterwards that he could not see and the gesture had been pointless. The poor boy offered a weak smile in her direction, as if he knew she had smiled at him. Over near the communication equipment, Koris was still shouting, though judging by what he was saying, it was only to make the Admiral feel better.

Martin smiled again at Tali when she took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry I did not keep my promise, Martin," Tali said. "Keelah, I tried. If only you had slept as late as you usually do." The boy laughed at the joke, as Tali had hoped. "The waiting is the worst part. I've waited more than a few times for your father to return from missions, always fearing the worst. He would walk back onto the Normandy, that goofy smile he thinks is charming on his face, every single time."

"I know the smile you mean. He had it whenever he came to see me," Martin stared at his feet. "I hope I get to see it again."

Tali thought about what she could say to cheer the boy up, but at this point there was nothing to say. She had said it all to this point. Moving a little closer, she brought Martin into a hug. He hugged her back tightly, a few sniffles escaping despite his obvious attempts to stay brave. Tears ran down Tali's cheeks as well, as she held the son of the man she loved. "No matter what happens, I want you to know that I'm glad Shepard let me bring you here. You are a great son."

"You make a great mom too, Tali," Martin said, voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."

How much time passed, Tali did not kno. Outside the bunker, the fighting could still be heard. The two were leaning against the wall, Martin's head resting against Tali's shoulder and hers resting atop his head, when a hideous screech began. The impact of something large hitting the ground could be heard and felt a few times over. Many of the civilians in the bunker began screaming and crying. Tali stood, telling Martin to stay where he was, but before she could walk away a red shockwave zoomed through the bunker, so fast that she was not even sure it had been real. A loud banging on the bunker doors only made the screams worse. "Open up, it's over!" came the shout from outside. "The husks are gone, the Reapers are all falling over dead! We won, Keelah we won!"

Tali was about to run over to the doors when the messages came rapidly. All of them were saying the same thing, the husks were gone, and the Reapers were dropping dead. The doors opened, and a group of enthusiastic Marines came in, continuing to shout their victory. The cries of joy from outside reached them as if they were right next to the celebrating soldiers. "What happened?" Tali asked, interrupting the soldiers that had come in while they talked.

"A red shockwave of some kind sped past, and all of the husks disintegrated or something, they were suddenly gone. The Reapers started falling to the ground too, they're dead! I don't know what happened, but we won! We won!"

Shepard, Tal realized. "It was Shepard. Shepard did it! Oh, Keelah se'lai, Shepard did it!" The cheers that went up within the bunker barely registered with Tali's hearing, as she made a beeline for Martin. He was jumping up and down, laughing, and when Tali knelt down to hug him, she whispered, "I told you your father would do it. I told you." Martin laughed even harder, hugging Tali tightly, while she did the same.

* * *

**There you have it! ME3 is over, and the Reapers are defeated. I probably could have just made made one long chapter out of the last two, but I preferred separating it into two. What has become of Shepard (like you don't know)? How bad did Rannoch get it? What happens now? :O I'll keep going for another three chapters most likely, unless my readers really want me to keep going, which I'm not opposed to at all. We'll just have to see where I am in the story and where people would like to suggest I go with it.**


	8. Chapter 8

Tali sighed heavily as she sat down, forcing herself to stay awake. Every muscle in her body was weary from helping with the repairs being made all around Rannoch, of which there were still an overwhelming amount left to make. The Reapers had not needlessly destroyed everything, but anything they had bothered to attack was left little more than a pile of rubble. Their main targets had been anything military. Not one supply depot or military base was left standing. Most of the destruction, they had found quickly, had come when the Reapers had died. They had fallen into buildings, on top of homes, crushing them beneath their weight. They blocked roads and took down power lines. They could not be moved easily, and in the two weeks since the Reapers had been defeated, only four of the Reapers had been disassembled and removed. It was tiring, exhausting work, and it was taking too long.

To Tali's overwhelming delight, her house was just the way she had left it. A Reaper Destroyer had fallen and crushing a house two streets over, but otherwise the homes had gone untouched. She had told herself that it didn't matter, that she could just have another house built, but seeing that house standing there, untouched, she had literally jumped for joy. Right then, on the spot, she had decided that this would be her home from now on, and ancestors damn anyone who tried to tell her otherwise.

The clean up and repair work was only made harder now that they no longer had the Geth helping. The first few times piles of Geth had been found, it was assumed they were casualties in the fighting. It had become clear by the end of that same day that all of the geth were deactivated. What once would have been a reason for triumph had instead been a reason for mourning. Since they had returned to Rannoch, most quarians had managed to put their hatred behind them and accept the geth as friends. No one could deny their usefulness. Now they were gone as well. Tali herself felt the loss as much as anyone. Legion had completely changed her mind during the Collector mission, and had become a friend. To see all of the geth dead, it was wrong. It was not fair, not when they had just recently become real AI, with their own personalities.

The Migrant Fleet had arrived after a week, only half the strength the ships returning that had left, telling grandiose stories of the fight above Earth and the moment the Crucible had fired. All of them told of how the galaxy's forces were on the brink of defeat, and the forces on the ground trying to get to the closed down Citadel were defeated when the Citadel opened and the Crucible docked. The red shockwave they described as emanating from the Citadel fit the description of the one that Tali had seen perfectly. Despite the heavy casualties, everyone that fought in the battle were in high spirits.

Tali could not share that same happiness. No one she asked knew anything about what happened to Shepard. All they knew was that he had been on the Citadel when the Crucible fired. With no idea what to say, she had tried to keep the uncertainty of Shepard's fate from Martin, but that strategy worked for one day, until the boy overheard Tali crying in her room. He had taken the news with surprising bravery, insisting that he knew his father was okay. Tali wanted to believe it. She really wanted to. When she heard the news, she had insisted on going to Earth to search for her lover herself, demanding that a ship take her, but the Admiralty Board had somehow managed to convince her that staying and helping with the rebuilding efforts was more important. Tali still wasn't sure how she had been convinced. She was too damn selfless, she knew it, but she couldn't help it.

Martin came out of his room to greet her. Now that the war was over, Tali was allowing him to stay home if he did not want to work. It was safe enough to do so now, and it allowed him the time to grieve by himself, he didn't have to put up the brave attitude he did whenever Tali was around. She knew Martin was grieving, she could hear him some nights, crying into his pillow. Her heart broke to know she could do nothing besides give the boy his time to grieve, and she could not even guarantee Shepard was still alive out there, she would never make that guarantee without knowing. She knew from experience that such guarantees only cut deep when you found out they were lies.

A forced smile formed on Martin's face. "Hi, did things go today?" he asked, voice raspy. He had been crying.

"Fine, but the work is exhausting," Tali answered. "I just want to sit down, eat something, and go to bed."

Martin laughed weakly. "I'll come help tomorrow. Thanks for letting me stay home today though, I really needed the rest." Tali nodded. "Do you mind if I use the extranet terminal out here?"

"Of course not," Tali told him. Martin sat down in front of the screen, while she walked to the kitchen and grabbed another piece of fruit. She removed her mask and took a bite, not caring the slightest about Martin being able to see her face. She was still chewing that first bite when Martin gasped audibly, pushing himself away from the desk, tears in his eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, walking quickly over to him.

Martin pointed at the screen. "Dad…" he whispered.

Tali feared the worst when she looked at the screen, reading the headline of the story Martin had clicked on. _Commander John Shepard Found Alive_, it read. She felt the blood drain from her face as she read the story. Shepard was alive and in critical condition, currently being treated in a hospital in an Earth city named London. There were no details as to his condition, nothing about his chances of recovering. When the article began going into Shepard's accomplishments throughout his many years of military service, Tali stopped reading and told Martin, "Go pack your things. We'll leave for Earth on the first ship available."

"Are you sure?" Martin asked, not doing a good job of containing his glee at all. "Will the other Admirals let you do that?"

"I don't care what they think, that's your father and my boyfriend, and we are leaving," Tali said forcefully. She smiled at Martin. "Go pack your things, he's waiting for us." Martin burst from the chair, hugging her quickly but tightly, and sprinted to his room.

* * *

Those first steps into that hospital were among the most difficult Tali had ever taken. Martin was by her side, body wracked with nervousness. Neither of them had any idea what to expect. No further details had been made available about Shepard's condition by the time they reached Earth, and with no idea how to get in contact with any Alliance higher ups that knew for sure, Tali had decided to just go to the hospital and see for herself. Martin had fully supported that plan of course.

Tali walked over to a desk where two nurses sat, talking excitedly about something. "Excuse me, may I ask what room a patient is located in?" she asked, wringing her hands. The nurses cast a quick glance her way, then returned to their own conversation. "Excuse me, nurses, I'd like to know where Commander Shepard is located, if you could please tell me."

"Why would we tell you that?" one of the nurses asked derisively. "Who are you?"

"My name is Tali'Zorah, and I served on his crew. This is his son, Martin."

Both nurses rolled their eyes. "Ma'am, do you have any proof that this is Commander Shepard's son?"

Tali wished the nurses could see her face, and Martin was more than happy to do what Tali wanted to. "Why are you being jerks!?" he yelled. "I want to see my father!"

The nurses didn't even look their way. "Kid, get the hell out of here and take your quarian with you."

Tali stepped forward, face flushed with rage. "Don't you talk to him that way! I should walk back there and punch both of you bosh'tets in your stupid, smug faces! All we want to know is where John is being held, and if you don't tell us I'll go back there and look it up myself!"

One of the nurses backed away timidly, but the other crossed her arms, staring back at the furious quarian. "Was that a threat?"

"You're damn right that was a threat!" Tali shouted.

"What's going on out here?" a strong, commanding voice questioned. Tali recognized the voice immediately, and began calming down, knowing these two nurses were about to look like the ignorant bosh'tets they were. Karin Chakwas walked over to the nurses, as proud and commanding within a hospital as she was in the medbay of the Normandy.

"This quarian is threatening me, demanding to know what room Commander Shepard is in."

Chakwas stared coldly at the nurses. "I know Tali would not have started out with threats, so I am left to assume that you insulted her."

Both nurses exchanged nervous glances. "You know her, Doctor Chakwas?"

"I am proud to say I do, quite well. Tali'Zorah served on the first Normandy during the mission to stop Saren and the geth, the second Normandy during the mission to stop the Collectors, and was briefly on the third Normandy as well until she admirably volunteered to watch over Commander Shepard's son and keep him safe until the Reapers were defeated. Judging by your question, you saw she was a quarian and assumed she was laying. Both of you need to go home for the rest of the day, and consider yourselves lucky I am not going to reprimand you further for the disrespect you have shown one of the galaxy's real heroes." Chakwas turned her attention to Tali, all of the anger fading into the gentle, motherly warmness that typically characterized her. She walked forward and brought Tali into a hug. "It is so good to see you, Tali. We've received so little word of what happened on Rannoch, none of us could be sure if you and Martin were okay."

"We're fine, Doctor Chakwas," Tali answered.

The doctor smiled happily. "So I see. And how are you doing, Martin?"

Martin shifted his feet nervously. "Okay. I just want to see my dad right now."

"Well, let's go see him then. Follow me."

A few tears ran down Tali's face as she stared at the hospital bed in front of her. Shepard was in bad shape, but he was alive. The skin on his face and arms was cut, bruised, and burnt, but it would get better. He was breathing with the help of a respirator, but within the next two days he would not need it anymore. Tali wasn't sure she had ever cried both due to horror and happiness, but that was the only way she could think to describe the tears coming from her eyes at that moment.

Martin stood back near the room's door. His lip quivered, but he held back his tears. He had let out a horrified gasp when he first saw his dad, but Chakwas's assurances had calmed them both. "Can I stay here with him?" Martin asked Chakwas.

"You can. He's scheduled for one more surgery later today, and you will have to leave then, but afterwards you can stay by his bedside as often as you want. We aren't sure when he will wake up, but we can promise he will."

Martin smiled politely and pulled a metal folding chair near the wall over to the bed, where he sat. "I'll be just downstairs in the lobby, Martin," Tali said. "If you need anything, or if that bosh'tet wakes up, come tell me."

"You aren't staying, too?" Martin asked, frowning.

Tali's nearly melted. She had thought Martin would want to be alone with his father. "I would like to, if you do not mind."

"Of course not. Dad will want you to be here when he wakes up," Martin said. Tali beamed, finding a chair of her own and joining Martin at Shepard's bedside.

* * *

A stiff neck was Tali's wakeup call three days later. She and Martin had only left the room when absolutely necessary and otherwise had spent every moment, awake or asleep, at Shepard's bedside. Blinking away her sleep, Tali looked at the window and saw that sunlight was beginning to creep in. She cracked her neck, and pulled her hand away from the one that had been gripping it. When that hand again grabbed hers, she nearly pulled it away again before noticing whose hand she was pulling away from. "Shepard!" she shrieked. His eyes were open, focused on her, and a smartass smile was plastered on his face. "Shepard, you're awake!"

"For an hour," he rasped, voice still weak, making Tali frown. She had never heard it that way. "I didn't know I was not allowed to hold your hand anymore," he joked.

"Of course you can, I just woke up and did not have my bearings, so someone holding my hand was strange." Tali noticed the grin again, and smiled herself. "You are such a bosh'tet. I love you so much." She stood and carefully hugged Shepard, overjoyed to finally see him awake. The constant reassurances from Chakwas and any other doctors or nurses responsible for Shepard's well being did little to provide relief for her worries.

Shepard weakly hugged her back, at least the most he could with all the stuff attached to him. It was just another reminder of the journey ahead for Shepard to fully recover, to be able to hold her the way he used to. Tali would be counting the minutes, and every one of those minutes would be spent by his side. "I see Martin is doing fine," Shepard said, his stare focused on his son. His hug became slightly tighter, and he planted a soft kiss on the side of Tali's helmet. "Thank you. You don't know what it means to me that he is… Thank you."

"Anytime, John," Tali said. "Your son is a great child. I hope now that this war is over you can be there for him all the time."

Shepard frowned slightly. "I'll try. As soon as I'm better I'll probably end up getting assigned missions that have me flying around cleaning up the wreckage of this war. When I'm not doing that…"

"No!" Tali whispered harshly, eyes narrowed in fury. "No more missions. No more Alliance or Council. You've given everything. The war is over, the galaxy is saved. I won't let them send you back out there, and I won't let you throw yourself out there."

Shepard grabbed one of Tali's hands. "It's not that simple. I'm a soldier, it's my job. If they tell me to go back out there, I have to."

"No you don't," Tali said, her voice cracking as she lost control of her emotions. "You can come home with me, and live a normal life. That's what we fought for in this damned war, wasn't it?" Shepard looked away, out the window. Tali used her right hand to force him to look at her. "John, come home with me. You've earned the right to say no, to enjoy life and stop fighting. Please, you told me you would, that this war was it."

Shepard smiled faintly, occupied with his thoughts. Tali wanted to slap him. He had promised her, he had promised that when this war was over he would come home with her, stay with her forever. Why would he change his mind now? Their conversation was interrupted by the wake up groans Martin produced, removing his head from Shepard's bed and yawning loudly. It took the boy a few moments after he first saw his father smiling to realize what he was seeing. "Dad, you're awake!" Martin yelled, nearly jumping onto the bed to hug Shepard. Only when Shepard grunted in pain did Martin realize what he had done, backing away sheepishly while Tali laughed. "Are you okay?"

"You know I am, no Reaper was going to do me in," Shepard said cockily. "Did you enjoy Rannoch? It's a really nice planet, isn't it?"

Martin nodded eagerly, making Tali beam with happiness again. "Before the Reapers came and we had to hide, we went on walks in the area around our house. We found all kinds of cool plants and animals, we found skeletons of stuff that had died, we found everything there was to find."

"Sounds like fun."

"It was. Tali taught me a lot about engineering, too. She's so smart dad, but you probably already know that."

Shepard smiled warmly. "I'm glad you two got along." The bed ridden Spectre put one arm around his son's shoulders, while the other grasped Tali's hand lovingly. Martin spent the next thirty minutes speaking nearly nonstop, describing everything that had happened on Rannoch. They took a break when two nurses arrived with breakfast for all three of them, all of them eating together, but Martin hadn't even swallowed the last bite of his food before he began talking again.

Tali felt completely exhausted that night, both because of joy and because of the mental exhaustion of her worry over Shepard disappearing. Martin must have felt it as well, since he fell asleep in his chair before the sun had even set. "I wanted to wait until he fell asleep to ask," Shepard said, making Tali's droopy eyelids snap open. "Do you know if his mother is okay, or where she might be?"

"No," Tali said glumly. "I asked Chakwas and Joker, since they are the only people I know that had ever met Louisa, and they knew nothing. Chakwas told me she had been on Earth during the fight, but did not know where. I'm sorry."

Shepard rubbed her back gently. "I'll get everyone I can on it, and when I can get up and around I'll help look myself. It's important that I find out what happened, for Martin's sake." Tali hoped the woman was alive. While a guilty, selfish part of her wanted Martin to come to Rannoch and live with them, the only way that would happen is if his mother was dead, and she couldn't possibly want that. "I've been thinking about what you yelled at me earlier," Shepard continued, smartass grin back on his face. "You're right. I've given everything to the Alliance and the entire galaxy. I've lost a marriage, grown distant from my son, been injured in every way imaginable. Hell, I died. I was thinking today about whether I really want to keep fighting, and I realized that fighting is the last thing I want to continue doing. I'm going to resign from the Alliance, and we are going home to Rannoch, as soon as they say I can travel."

Tali nodded, leaning her head on Shepard's shoulder while still sitting in her chair. "You, more than anyone who has ever lived, deserves rest, deserves a normal, happy life with someone you love. I will do everything I can to be the woman you deserve."

"Oh, there are no doubts there," Shepard said. "If I am sure about anything going forward, it's that you are the woman I love and you are more than I deserve. I'm just hoping you don't hate me after a month of living in the same house with me."

Tali laughed. "I handled you just fine on the Normandy. Living on a planet where there's plenty of places to ignore and avoid you will be easy."

Shepard gave her a look of fake hurt. "That wounds me. Maybe you're not the woman for me, if you've already decided when and how you will ignore me when you are angry."

Tali punched him the arm softly. "Bosh'tet." Gaining the courage to ask the question she had wanted to ask all day, she asked, "What about Martin?"

"I don't know," Shepard admitted. "If his mother is alive and well, she has custody. Louisa is a good mother, who has been there at all times. I would never question her parenting, and I would never try to take Martin from her. Louisa is a kind, fair woman, and I'm sure we can sit down and talk about Martin rationally. She'll be fair."

Tali snuggled further into Shepard's shoulder, wishing she could take her mask off and feel his skin on hers. Soon, she told herself, just be patient. "I hope so. Martin is a great kid." Tali didn't see it, but the smile on Shepard's face was his biggest yet that day.

* * *

**I'm going to leave it up to the readers on what the fate of Martin's mother Louisa is. Either way, Martin will be a huge part of Shepard and Tali's lives, but I'll let you decide if I should be a jerk and kill her off or not. Power to the people, make your voices heard!**


	9. Chapter 9

A breeze had never felt better than it did at that moment, running through Shepard's hair and whipping his clothes against his skin. The sun was hidden behind a layer of thin clouds, and combined with the wind the day was chilly. A slight chill was a small price to pay to finally leave that damn hospital. He was still getting used to walking with a crutch, but Chakwas had insisted that he would not be able to walk very far without it, and that it was possible the stress of walking without it would aggravate his injuries. So there Shepard was, the savior of the galaxy, walking with a crutch under his left armpit, even the slightest wobble causing Tali to rush to his side and grab a hold of his arm. His quarian girlfriend had been very protective, overprotective, since the day he woke up, and despite his constantly improving condition she was only becoming more so.

Shepard was walking towards a waiting shuttle when his right leg buckled, and Tali was there, as always, grabbing his arm. "Tali, I promise, I'm okay," he said, slightly frustrated.

"Shut up and let me help you," she told him. "You're such a stubborn bosh'tet. We didn't get this far just for you to fall over and break something again."

"Dad, seriously, just let us help you," Martin said, following them from a couple of feet behind.

Shepard was outnumbered, and too weak to fight. "Fine," he relented.

With Tali's help, Shepard reached the shuttle and took a seat, carefully setting his crutch to his side. Tali took the empty spot next to him, while Martin sat across from them. "Take us to Alliance headquarters," he told the shuttle pilot.

Tali snapped her vision towards him. "Why are we going there? You were honorably discharged, you told me."

"I need to ask a favor of Admiral Hackett," Shepard told her. "Don't worry, we've already discussed it, and it does not affect my leaving the Alliance. I promise." Tali looked at him skeptically, but eventually relaxed.

* * *

"Thank you for helping me out with this," Shepard said. "I couldn't be more grateful."

"I'm the one who should be grateful Shepard, along with the rest of the galaxy," Hackett said. "So this is everything I need to know? I can find her with this information and no more?"

Shepard nodded. "That's all you need. I need to know, sir, good or bad. She was working here on Earth, but I don't know where. It's important to both myself and my son that I know what happened to Louisa."

"And we will find out for you Shepard," Hackett assured. "It's the least we can do."

When Shepard exited the building, Tali and Martin were waiting by the shuttle. Even with the visor, it was easy to see by the narrowed eyes behind it that Tali was not happy. They got back in the shuttle, and Tali told their next destination to the pilot, Shepard unable to hear. She sat down next to him afterwards. "So what was that all about?"

"I had a favor to ask," Shepard told her, casting a quick glance towards Martin.

"And?" Tali asked.

"And what?"

"What was the favor you asked?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Shepard said, immediately regretting his choice of words.

"There is nothing involving you and the Alliance that I do not need to worry about," Tali said angrily. "Tell me."

Shepard again glanced towards his son, not wanting to say in front of him. "Tali, please, I'll tell you later, I can't right now though."

The quarian woman crossed her arms. Shepard was glad he couldn't see the perturbed expression she definitely had at that moment. "Do you not trust me? Have you been lying about leaving the Alliance? Did Hackett have an assignment for you that he convinced you to do before you could be discharged or something?"

"No Tali, nothing like that, please just wait until later," Shepard said.

"John, tell me!" she ordered.

Shepard was angry now as well. "You know what? No. I'll tell you later. And don't talk to me about a lack of trust when you are refusing to trust me. I am leaving the Alliance, I am not lying to you about anything, I asked Hackett to do me a favor and he agreed. That's all."

Tali was still glaring at him, but Shepard did not care. "I'm sorry, John," Tali apologized. "I'm just worried. Worried that you will get roped into something because you are too good a person to say no. After all this, everything that has happened, to lose you now would hurt too much. I couldn't handle it."

"You're stronger than that, Tali," Shepard said. "I promise though, I am not getting involved in anything. I just asked a favor."

The shuttle became silent, as Tali grabbed one of Shepard's hands, holding it tight. The idea of losing him again was weighing heavily on her mind. The sight of his weak, broken body in that hospital bed was still too fresh a memory. Chakwas told her that if they had found Shepard even a day later than they did, he likely would have been too far gone to save. Laying her head against Shepard's shoulder, she closed her eyes, forcing those memories away.

Martin had been nervously listening to the argument. "So, are we leaving Earth now?" He had a feeling the favor his dad asked of Admiral Hackett involved his mom, but as much as he wanted to ask he decided not to. When dad wanted to tell him, he would.

"In a few hours," Tali answered. "We are going to the ship now, but it will be two or three hours until the ship takes off."

* * *

The cheers assaulted Shepard the moment he stepped through the door, catching him completely by surprise. The shuttle had brought them to the spaceport, and once there Tali had led the way to the ship they would be taking home. When they reached the door, she told him to go ahead, as she needed to go back and check to make sure the ship was still leaving on time. Obviously she had been in on the surprise.

Shepard smiled as he looked over everyone standing outside the Normandy. Nearly everyone that had ever served on the Normandy was there, the only one's missing being Grunt, Jacob, and Samara. Joker, Chakwas, Adams, Samantha, Ken, and Gabby were there. So were Ashley, Garrus, Wrex, Liara, Miranda, and James. Even Jack and Kasumi were there. All of them shook his hand, gave him a hug, or did a combination of both as he walked towards them. "Let's move this party to the ship!" Wrex boomed, leading the way onto the waiting Normandy.

Shepard moved to follow, when a hand grabbed his from behind. Shepard turned to find Tali there, and he could tell she was smiling. "Surprise," she said. Martin was standing near her too, staring at the crowd of people entering the Normandy through the cargo bay. "I suggested we have one last big get together before we all go our separate ways. Samara went to make sure her daughter was safe, Grunt is still fighting somewhere, and no one could contact Jacob. I'm sorry I couldn't get everyone to come."

Shepard kissed Tali's visor near her forehead. "This is fantastic. You are the best."

Tali smirked, crossing her arms. "Of course I am." She was smiling again, and still holding Shepard's hand led him onto the Normandy.

Barely an hour and a half passed before the atmosphere and alcohol had created a ruckus atmosphere in the bar of the Normandy, though things were surprisingly peaceful. Tali was sitting on the couch, currently by herself, though she, Kasumi, and Adams had been involved in quite the conversation not ten minutes earlier. The quarian watched happily as Shepard made the rounds, fulfilling his obligation as the life of the party. She had not seen the love of her life in such a happy mood since the immediate aftermath of their successful demolition of the Collector base. Shepard's smile had not left his face since the moment they stepped on the Normandy, and he had not neglected to talk to anyone. Currently, he, Garrus, Wrex, and Jack appeared to be sharing stories, as they were quite animated as they talked.

"Hell of a party," Ashley said as she approached Tali from her right. "Great idea to put this together. I don't think I've ever seen the Skipper that happy." Booming laughter came from the bar, a mixture of Shepard and Wrex.

"He deserves it," Tali said. "That bosh'tet actually did it. He beat the Reapers and lived to tell about it."

"That he did," Ashley said, chuckling softly. "Why aren't you over there with him?"

Tali looked over at her friend. She remembered her first impression of Ashley, standing next to her on an elevator at the Citadel Tower. Ashley had said something about humanity hating quarians after Eden Prime, because they had created the geth. That and a few other not so politically correct statements had made Tali nearly hate the brash human woman. It did not take long for that to change, and Ashley to become one of Tali's best friends. The quarian smiled at Ashley, knowing that her friend would be able to tell. "I will have plenty of time to spend with Shepard later. I don't know what the future holds for everyone else, and this may be the last time for a long time that they get to see Shepard. Besides, I want to spend time with my friends, too."

"Then drink up, little lady, because tonight we are getting crazy," Ashley said, raising the drink in her hand above her head, before gulping it down. She nearly stumbled when she stood up from the couch, steadying herself with Tali's help. "Maybe I should slow down a little."

* * *

Shepard woke up in his cabin on the Normandy, nearly crippled by a splitting headache. For a moment he thought everything that had happened, the assault on Earth, the Catalyst, waking up in the hospital to find the Crucible had worked, had been a dream. Then he heard a soft, feminine sigh and a familiar arm grasped around his waist, and he relaxed. He could remember very little after Jack and Miranda had started trading insults, but the previous night had been the most fun he'd had in months, at least. Unfortunately, he was now paying for it. Shepard gently lifted Tali's arm, and was caught by surprise when it immediately yanked away and tightened around his waist again. He tried again, and Tali again put her arm back around him. "Go back to sleep, we won't reach Rannoch for another three hours, at least," she murmured sleepily.

"We already left?" Shepard asked, voice hoarse from all the alcohol the night before. He made a mental note to never have multiple drinking contests on the same night. "When?"

"After Wrex and I dragged you up here."

"Where's Martin staying?" Shepard asked.

"In the observation bay," Tali answered. "His choice. Now go back to bed, those bosh'tets Ashley and Kasumi made me drink too much." Shepard relented, not really wanting to wake up anyway. Tali snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and sighing. She probably hadn't meant for the sigh to be sexy, but Shepard felt his blood quicken. "Don't even think about it, I'm way too tired," Tali said.

When they arrived on Rannoch, the admirals were there, except for Han'Gerrel. According to Tali, Gerrel had refused to go to a safe bunker and suffered nearly mortal injuries during the Reaper attack on the quarian homeworld. He was recovering and would be fine, but he was still feeling the effects of his injuries. Shepard could attest to that feeling, though he wasn't quite that bad off. After their welcome, Shepard and Tali said goodbye to Joker, who as always had been the Normandy's pilot for this trip.

A shuttle took them to their home, where Shepard got to see the house that Tali and Martin had both raved about since he had woken up in the hospital. It was a simple, one story home, with chipped paint and a few brown patches in the front yard. It wasn't the nicest, it wasn't the biggest, it was nothing more than a normal home. He loved it. It reminded him of his home on Mindoir, before the raiders had attacked, the last time Shepard had been able to live a normal life. Martin walked ahead, carrying his things inside, while Shepard and Tali stood on the street, staring at the house. "What do you think, Shepard?" Tali asked. It was obvious she was nervous.

Shepard pulled her into him, hugging her tightly. "I love it. I love everything about it."

"I'm glad." Tali hugged him back, a couple of tears running down her cheeks. It meant more than she could say that Shepard was satisfied with their home. "I was so worried that I would find this place destroyed when the Reapers were defeated. When I came back and found it standing, looking exactly how it had when Martin and I left, I can't tell you what that meant to me."

"I'm glad it's here too." Shepard said. "Despite what I've told you before, I wouldn't have the slightest clue about how to build a house." Tali laughed loudly, genuinely, her happiness contagious. "Ready to go inside, Ms. Vas Normandy."

"Yes I am," Tali said, grabbing Shepard's hand. "Though you calling me Ms. Vas Normandy reminds me of something rather important. When exactly are you going to take me as your bondmate?"

The question was clearly meant as a joke, but Shepard put on the most serious expression he could, and made Tali face him. "When would you like the ceremony to take place?"

Tali's eyes widened. "I, I was joking, John, not that I don't want to bond with you but I don't know if you want to bond with me… Do you want to bond with me?"

Shepard kissed her on her visor. "Why would I be here on Rannoch, where I can't even eat the food or drink the water, and everyone I know is days away, if I didn't want to bond with you?"

Tali's happiness could not be contained. She leaped into Shepard's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly knocking him off his feet. "Thank you, thank you so much, oh Keelah I can't believe this. This can't possibly be happening right now. I have you, I have a home, I even have a son." Shepard's enthusiasm slightly lessened at Tali's last words.

* * *

Later that night, when Martin was asleep, Shepard brought Tali into their room, closing the door behind him. Tali had taken off her mask, and he could see the curiosity and worry in her expression. "I figured it's time I tell you what I asked of Hackett. Louisa was on Earth during the fight, and is missing. I asked him to find her. As much as I would love to have Martin live here with us, I can't just abandon Louisa, she's his mother, and his rightful guardian. She's a woman I once loved, and still care about. If she's out there, I need to know."

Such faithfulness, even to someone he is no longer with, Tali thought. She could only hope she had and would continue to prove worthy of the same. "Do you still love her, John?" Tali asked. She could not help the insecurity that had bubbled up from the recesses of her mind. When Shepard stared directly into her eyes, she began wringing her hands. "She is the mother of your son, and even you have told me that you still care about her, that you only separated because of your dedication the Alliance. Now that you aren't in the Alliance anymore, maybe you and her would get back together, for Martin's sake, and while I don't want that, I don't want that at all, I guess I couldn't blame you. Martin deserves to have his parents together, he even told me he used to dream that you two would get back together. Keelah, just tell me if that's what you want, I'd rather you tell me then not tell me and then we end up hating each other in the future."

Shepard listened to everything Tali said and tried his hardest not to laugh, treating her fears seriously. "Is that all? Was that everything you wanted to say?"

Tali lowered her gaze. "Yes, I mean, well yes that was it."

"Okay, because that's an easy question. It's a question I answered a long time ago. I don't want anyone else. I want you, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this relationship work."

Tali smiled at the words he used, the same he had used back during on the second Normandy, when she had first admitted her interest in Shepard. "I'm going to hold you to that. You break my heart, and Chiktika will come after you."

Shepard flinched, fake fear on his face. "Uh oh. Well, looks like I'm stuck then." He flashed the most disarming smile he could manage, and leaned forward to kiss Tali. "Take your meds today by any chance?"

"Of course. We have to break in this bed sometime, sooner is better than later," Tali said seductively, just before pouncing onto Shepard and forcing him on his back. Their lips met, and Tali's fears disappeared in an instant.

The call came just short of two weeks later. Shepard had been painting the west wall outside the home when Tali cleared her throat to get his attention. "Admiral Hackett is on the line for you. He says it is urgent." The blood drained from Shepard's face, and he prepared himself for the worst.

Hackett was waiting patiently when Shepard entered the office, his face stoic as always on the holographic display. "Admiral Hackett, good to hear from you."

"Same here, Shepard." Hackett's voice did not display the slightest hint of emotion. "How is civilian life treating you so far?"

"Just fine, sir, like a glove." Shepard cleared his throat. "Do you have any news about Louisa?"

For just the briefest moment, Hackett's eyes showed sympathy. "We found her Shepard, in North America, near Vancouver. She is alive, but her injuries are quite severe. Her doctors are doing what they can, but cannot say with any certainty whether she will pull through or not. I'm sorry."

Shepard took the situation in, and nodded. "Would they allow my son and I to go see her?"

"Of course, Shepard. They are expecting your visit."

Shepard and Martin were in the hospital that night, standing next to Louisa's hospital bed. The doctor had told him it would be okay for Martin to see her. Shepard wanted to punch that doctor in the face. Martin was shaking as he tried not to cry. Louisa's face was chalk white, a respirator covering her nose and mouth. Her arms were covered in bruise, burns, and cuts, with multiple IV tubes in both. The rest of her body was covered by a blanket, but the doctor had given a brief rundown of the severity of her injuries, the dozens of broken bones, the pierced organs, the likelihood that she would never walk again if she managed to pull through. It was too much, Shepard could not let Martin stay here and watch his mother slowly die.

When they left the room, Martin could not hold his tears in any longer, and began sobbing heavily. Shepard hugged his son, letting out a few tears of his own. Even now that the war was over, there were still families out there who did not know what happened to their loved ones, who could never return to their former life. Children had lost their parents, parents their children, wives and husbands, siblings, they would never see each other again. "Dad, will mom get better?" Martin asked, voice raspy.

"I hope so, pal. I really do." Shepard wasn't saying that just for his son's benefit. There may be parents out there who would wish for the death of the other parent in this situation, but Shepard was not one. He loved his son, and would love to have him in his life all the time, but not this way, never this way. Their separation may have been ugly, but he had never stopped caring for Louisa as a person, even if he was no longer interested in her as a lover. "Do you want to stay here in the hospital tonight?"

Martin nodded, and Shepard asked him to take a seat outside Louisa's room while he asked where they could sleep for the night.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! I loved the idea of everyone that served on the Normandy getting together for one last blowout party after the war was over. Sorry for fans of those that weren't at the party, but Grunt and Samara had legit reasons not to be there, and Jacob sucks. He would ruined the party.**


	10. Chapter 10

The coffee was too strong, bitter on Shepard's tongue. He poured the rest out on the ground, watching the drink soak into the grass and dirt. He considered going to get some breakfast from the hospital cafeteria, but had not even walked through the front doors before the thought of eating anything made his stomach roil. Martin was sitting in the same chair he had left him in, eyes still red from constant tears and his face emotionless. Shepard sat down next to his son, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's time to leave. We owe one more favor to your mother." Martin began crying again, and did not resist when Shepard brought him into a hug.

Louisa had passed the previous night, after five days. Her son had spent every possible moment beside her, only leaving when the doctors and nurses forced him to. Shepard had left at various points to get meals for them both and place calls back to Rannoch letting Tali know they were okay, but had spent as much time as he could with his son as well. Louisa had once been his wife, and he could not pretend he did not hurt at her passing as well. She was a great woman, passionate, loyal, protective of those she cared about. With as much time as Shepard had spent away from his son, the great young man Martin was turning into could almost solely be attributed to his mother's influence. Shepard only hoped he could continue what Louisa had started. As with everything else in her life, Louisa had fought her injuries with every fiber of her being, every day she lived coming as surprise to the doctors. They had never said that, of course, but someone who had seen death and spent as much time around soldiers and the doctors that patched them up as Shepard knew the signs, knew the body language. It had made him so proud to see her fight that way.

A hearse was waiting outside the hospital, near where Shepard's car was parked. In the back, Shepard could see the casket holding Louisa's remains, and subtly used his body to block the view from his son as they walked to his car. The hearse followed them to the ship that was waiting to take Louisa home to be buried. Shepard and Martin had just exited their car when Shepard noticed a familiar quarian woman waiting near the entrance to the ship's airlock. Tali's hands were intertwined below her waist, and her head was bowed. Both Shepards, younger and older, walked towards her, the older offering a small smile in her direction. She acknowledged him with a nod, before looking Martin in the eye. "I am very sorry for your loss, Martin. I know how this feels."

"How would you know how it feels?" Martin asked bitterly.

Shepard was about to correct his son's attitude, when Tali said, "Because I lost my mother as a child as well. I was older than you, I was 16, but it hurt terribly. My father was also a military man, and while I knew he loved me it was my mother that did most of the job of raising me. She was such a good woman, and I loved her very much. When she passed, I cried for weeks. I missed her every moment of every day. I promise, if anyone knows the pain and the loss you feel right now, I do."

Martin shook with sobs, but never looked away. "When did it stop hurting? How did you manage to get over it?"

Sympathy showed in Tali's eyes. "I didn't ever fully get over it, it still hurts. But I was able to move on. It was hard, my father only became more obsessed with work after mom passed, and I had to learn to deal with my mother's loss on my own, with some help from my Auntie Raan. Unlike me, you will not have to do this on your own, I promise. Your father will be there for you, and so will I. If you ever want to talk, we will be there. If you ever feel like the sadness and loss is too much, you tell one of us. Your father and I can never replace what your mother was to you, but we will try the best we can."

Shepard felt tears well in his eyes. He should have said all of this already, and at that moment he had never felt more love for Tali. Martin managed a genuine smile. "Thank you, Tali," he said, and he hugged Tali, his body again shaking with sobs. "I'm sorry I said something so mean to you."

Tali shook her head. "You had no way of knowing." When the hug was over, Tali again looked Martin in the eye. "You have to be strong one more time. Can you do that?" She did not need to tell Martin why or when he needed to be strong, and the boy nodded.

Martin was incredibly brave during the funeral, keeping composed the entire time, even as Louisa's parents lost their composure. When it was over, Shepard shuddered as he let out a breath, fighting tears. Martin was exchanging hugs and words with his grandparents, and Shepard took the opportunity to slink away and stand by himself near a tree that shaded a group of four headstones. A familiar three fingered hand on his should brought a forced smile to Shepard's face. "Hey, gorgeous," he said weakly, failing miserably at appearing fully composed.

Tali took his hand. "You don't always have to be strong for me. The mother of your son died last night. You just watched her get buried. Right now, I'm the one that needs to be strong for you."

Shepard's smile left his face, and he wrapped his arms around Tali. "This fucking war is over, and I'm still losing people I care about. I fought so hard, for so long, and even when it's over and I've won I still lose." Tali said nothing, holding Shepard, letting him vent. "Louisa was a good woman, when we were together she dedicated every moment she could to being the best mother and wife she could be. I put her through so much bullshit, and she dealt with it as long as she could. Even you would have probably walked away with the way I used to act. When she wasn't home dedicating herself to me and Martin, she was out there dedicating herself to helping those who truly needed the help. She deserved better than this."

For a brief moment, Tali's insecurity crept into her mind. Hearing Shepard speak that way about his former wife, she wondered if she could ever live up to such a standard, a standard that Shepard still walked away from. Now was not the time to voice such concerns. "I am here for you as well, John, just like I am for Martin. Do not try and deal with your grief on your own. You do not have to."

"I'll be fine, Tali," Shepard said. "I learned long ago how to deal with loss and the grief it brings. I'm more concerned for Martin. I can't tell you how much it means to me, what you told him. It was exactly what he needed to hear, and I'm glad it was you that said it."

"I had to say something," Tali said. "He needed to know I've been through this, that I am there for him. I don't know how he thinks of me, but in my mind he is my son. I am there for you too, John. I love you both."

"It's a good thing you're here, because I don't have the slightest idea what to say."

Tali cocked her head to the side. "How did you cope when your parents died on Mindoir?"

"I didn't. I eventually just moved on, because I had no choice. I'm not exactly the healthiest person mentally, you know that." Shepard looked away awkwardly.

"I disagree. You may be the mentally strongest person I've ever met," Tali said, a smile in her voice. "No one else could have handled everything you've dealt with. You always know the right thing to say. I have no doubt you'll know what to say when Martin needs you."

Shepard shrugged. "I hope you're right. Well, let's go take our son home."

Tali beamed, a smile she knew was inappropriate spreading on her face, but at that moment she didn't care. Shepard had said "our son." The quarian would be damned if anyone told her otherwise. She would spend the rest of her life making sure both John and Martin knew how much she loved and cared for them. She had already told Martin she could never take his mother's place, but she would certainly try her hardest to be a mother he could be proud of.

* * *

"John, hurry up!" Tali shouted, waiting impatiently near the front door of their home. For all the stereotypes about human women taking forever to get ready when they left the house, Shepard was making Tali think the stereotype applied to humans in general. "If we do not leave in the next ten minutes, we will be late!"

Shepard appeared briefly, poking his head out from the hallway as he buttoned up his suit shirt. "His last name is Shepard, even if we are late we won't miss it when his name is called."

Tali glared, making Shepard grimace and flinch. "I am leaving in five minutes, and if you are not with me than you will have to explain to your son why you missed his graduation." Of course, Shepard sprinted out of the front door four minutes later, as Tali was starting the car.

They arrived at the auditorium and found their seats minutes before the ceremony started. Martin was not hard to spot, despite being dressed in a similar blue envirosuit as the rest of the graduates. He was the only one not wearing a mask, and he was taller and more muscular than almost anyone else. When his name was called, and he strode across the stage to receive his certificate, Tali screamed her support loudly, while Shepard whistled. For the first time, the young man looked at them, smiling from ear to ear as he left the stage. A few of the other parents around them glared disapprovingly, but Tali didn't care. That was her son that just crossed that stage, she would support him as loudly as she felt like.

After the ceremony was over, Tali and Shepard waited outside the auditorium. When Martin came outside, talking to a couple of his friends. He walked over when he noticed them, saying goodbye to his friends, and Tali rushed forward to meet him, hugging her son tightly. "I am so proud of you!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you have graduated already. It feels like just yesterday that I met you for the first time."

Martin embraced Tali back. "Thank you. I can barely believe it either."

"Congratulations, Martin," Shepard said.

"Thanks, dad."

A quarian boy and girl came over to where the Shepards were standing, calling out a greeting in Martin's direction. Martin gently separated himself from Tali's tight grip, and greeted his friends. "We did it, we actually graduated. In just a few more years we will be going on our Pilgrimage," the girl said. She seemed to notice Shepard and Tali for the first time, and it was not hard to tell that she grew nervous. "Is this your dad, Commander Shepard?" she asked.

Martin nodded. "Yep, that's my dad and this is my mom, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy." Tali smiled, and when she looked over at Shepard she could see her bondmate was barely suppressing a smile of his own. It was not the first time Martin had referred to her as his mother when making introductions to others, but every time she found herself giddy at the words.

The two young quarians stared in awe at Tali and Shepard. "Admiral Zorah, it's a pleasure to meet you," the boy said. "My mother served your father on the Alarei, and my father served under Admiral Koris during the battle to retake the homeworld. You were a true hero in both those situations."

Tali searched the eyes of quarian boy in front of her, trying her hardest to identify who he was. The realization made her smile disappear. "Jona'Hazt nar Quib Quib. I'm so sorry about your parents."

Jona was stunned, even with the visor in place that was obvious in how his eyes widened. "You know me?"

"I was there when your father passed. He wanted someone, anyone to tell you that he loved you, that he made it to the homeworld. I tried to find you after the battle, but I never could." Tali offered her hand, and the two shook hands. "I'm so glad to see you are okay."

Jona nodded. "Thank you, Admiral Zorah. I had family that survived the fight, and took me in. I miss my parents, but I have dealt with their loss. They both died for what they thought was right."

It came as no surprise to Shepard why his son had become friends with this young man, as he listened to Tali talk to Jona. Martin and Jona were so much alike, and had suffered similar trauma at a similar age. They were both smart, polite, had similar mannerisms. Listening to Jona, Shepard learned who his son had learned some of the phrases he used nowadays from.

After the conversation between Tali and Jona was over, the quarian woman turned to the younger woman, who had stayed quiet the entire time, shifting her weight back and forth between her legs nervously. "Who is this?" Tali asked.

The sudden flush on Martin's face did not go unnoticed to his father. "Sorry, this is Yala'Vizz nar Tonbay."

Tali's face lit up. "Tonbay? Admiral Raan is very close to me, it is a pleasure to meet you. Yala'Vizz, I believe Shala has mentioned you pestering her on occasion." When Yala looked down, clearly embarrassed, Tali placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, she likes you. She says you are very smart and always looking to help, even if you end up in the way."

"I just like to do my part, Admiral Zorah," Yala said.

"Please, call me Tali. I hate being called Admiral Zorah." Not for the first time, Tali thought about legally changing her clan name to Shepard. It was not a necessary part of the bonding, and not being a quarian Shepard had told her she should keep the clan name of Zorah, to continue to fight the negative connotations given to the name after the truth about Rael'Zorah came out. Ancestors take the legacy of the Zorah clan, Tali was a Shepard now, and she was proud of it. She decided then to have this conversation with John again that night.

"I really admire you, Tali'Zorah," Yala said, comfortably slipping into the use of Tali's name. "While I do not wish for the same threat to the universe you faced on your Pilgrimage, I do hope I can give our people a gift of the same importance."

"Hopefully you can bring back some of the secrets those bosh'tet Asari and Humans have that allowed them to rebuild Thessia and Earth so easily," she joked.

When the Shepard family arrived back home, Tali entered the kitchen and began cooking a congratulatory meal for Martin. While she busied herself preparing to cook, Martin asked his father if he could talk to him, and the two left for his room. Shepard entered first, taking a moment to observe the decoration of the room. It was so different than it had been even two or three years earlier. Clean, organized, no sign of any of the toys that used to litter the ground. A few posters of popular bands, that if Shepard remembered correctly made club music, were up on the walls, as well as a poster for the movie that had been made of the fight against the Reapers. The entire Normandy crew had signed Martin's copy, the only one in existence with all of those signatures.

Martin took a seat on his bed, biting his bottom lip nervously. "I was just wondering what I am going to do when everyone else goes on Pilgrimage. I'm not quarian, so I guess I'd go to college or something like most humans my age, but all my friends are going on Pilgrimage. What should I do?"

Shepard thought hard, stumped by the question. "What do you want to do?" Shepard asked, deciding it would probably help if he knew what Martin was thinking.

The boy shrugged, of course. "I don't know. I would like to do both, but that's probably not a possibility."

"Why not?" Shepard asked. "If that's what you want to do, you can. You could go on Pilgrimage, and go to college afterwards. Going on Pilgrimage would probably help you decide what you would want to go to college to learn anyway."

Martin smiled. "You would seriously not have a problem with that?"

"Not at all." Shepard gave his son a light push. "You better come back from Pilgrimage with something good. The son of Commander John Shepard and Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Normandy? That's some pressure there."

"Piece of cake," Martin said, his usual cockiness on full display. "Between me and Yala, quarians on Pilgrimage will have a standard to aspire by for years."

Again, the flush in his son's cheeks at the mention Yala did not go unnoticed. "Aww, look at my boy, head over heels for a quarian girl just like his dad."

Martin went wide eyed, startled that his father knew. "What? How do you…"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "I'm not an idiot. I saw the way you looked at her. I won't embarrass you, I'll just say that you better grab her up before someone else does. That Yala seems like a strong young woman, someone's going to make their move and sweep her off her feet sooner or later."

"I don't know why she'd be interested in me," Martin said, sounding a little dejected. "I'm a human, she's got all kinds of attention from quarian guys, she isn't with anyone now but like you said she'll have someone eventually. I'm sure my chances are slim to none."

"Why would you being a human be an insurmountable obstacle?" Shepard asked.

"Are you kidding? Why would a quarian woman pick a human?"

Shepard held back a laugh. "Well screw you, too. You only have a stepmother who picked a human to spend her life with."

Martin brought a hand to his forehead. "I'm such an idiot. Sorry, dad."

"Eh, don't be. I get it, I thought the same thing until Tali told me she was interested, and she told me she felt that way for a long time about me, that I would never be interested in a quarian woman. If Yala likes you, I bet she feels the same."

"So I should just go for it, huh?" Martin said, cocky smile returning.

"You bet your ass."

Martin laughed. "Alright. What do I have to lose?"

* * *

"And so we dedicate this statue to one who fought harder, braver, and as capably as anyone could possibly expect from any quarian, a woman who serves as the example by which generations will hopefully aspire to live up to. Tali'Shepard vas Normandy, thank you." With those words, the end of a long, passionate speech by Shala'Raan that brought Tali to tears, the cover was pulled off the statue built in front of the recently rebuilt and opened museum. Claps and cheers rose from the crowd of thousands, and Tali gasped as she took in the sight.

The statue was made with incredible detail, even the swirls on her hood accurately replicated. In a twist she had not been informed of, Tali's visor was off, and the features of her face had been chiseled to astounding accuracy. She was standing proudly, tall, reaching a hand out towards a nonexistent person in need. Originally, the statue was going to feature Tali holding her shotgun in one hand as well, but Tali had refused. She did not want to be remembered that way. On a plaque at the base of the statue, her name was engraved, along with her accomplishments. Beneath all that was a quote that Tali had been asked to provide. She had thought long and hard about what the quote should be, when she finally decided on something so simple she was embarrassed to have not thought of it earlier. _"We have returned to where we began. Keelah se'lai."_

When the ceremony was over, and the crowd began to disperse, Raan brought Tali into a deep embrace. "I cannot tell you how proud I am of you, and how proud your mother and father would be of you. You have become an amazing woman, Tali'Shepard."

"Thank you, Auntie. I'm still somewhat embarrassed that I received a statue. There are so many others that were so important to our recovering our homeworld. Shepard for one, and Legion, and the other Admirals such as yourself."

Raan placed a hand on the mouth of Tali's visor. "Not today. You are so unselfish, but today you get to receive the attention you deserve, even if you do not want it."

Tali smiled, hugging her Auntie Raan even harder. She spent the rest of that day talking to dozens upon dozens of people, many of them asking her the same questions to which she provided the same answers. The sun was setting when she was finally able to get away, and find Shepard standing nearby, looking at something far off. "What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Our boy. Hope he's smoother than I am." Tali looked in the same direction as Shepard, and her mouth opened in surprise. Martin was walking along the street aimlessly, hand in hand with Yala'Vizz. "That's my son alright, he obviously sees the beauty of quarian woman just like I do."

While Tali was happy to see Martin so happy, her over protectiveness also began to kick in. "She better be good to him," she said, her voice nearly a growl.

Shepard turned to stare at his bondmate, taken by surprise at the body language she was displaying. "Well look at momma Tali."

"What?" Tali asked, still somewhat angry.

"Martin met a good girl. Leave him alone."

"Fine. She breaks his heart, I break her bones." Tali grasped Shepard's hand, smiling now. "This has been a hectic day."

"You deserve it, Tali. You may not want the attention, but ancestors take anyone that says you don't deserve it."

Tali giggled. "Ancestors, huh? Looks like some of our sayings are rubbing off on you as well."

"Of course. I have to fight not to throw in a Keelah every once in a while."

Shepard grinned at her, that heart melting grin she couldn't resist. "There is one thing that would make this day complete," she said seductively. Shepard continued to grin, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure Martin can find his way home." Tali removed her visor, and threw herself at Shepard, kissing him deeply.

* * *

**It was a pretty overwhelming vote for Louisa to be taken out of the picture, which I expected. I didn't feel like wasting time with Shepard and Martin in the hospital while she slowly died, so I jumped ahead. Having her die actually provided another way for Tali and Martin to bond.**

**Also, this pretty much covers the story I wanted to tell. Shepard and Tali have both survived, have their home on Rannoch, where they were able to raise Martin. However, I will be more than happy to continue adding on based on reader feedback. There's plenty I could write on, flashbacks to the years after the funeral and before graduation, the few years before he goes off on Pilgrimage, Martin's Pilgrimage itself, I have ideas for all of it. If you want it, I'll do it. The ideas are there, just say something. **

**One final note: Thank you to everyone who read my story and again to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed it. Yeah, favorited isn't a word, but whatever. **


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back! Thank you for all the support. I'm nearly finished with my idea for Martin's Pilgrimage, and that will be the focus of the upcoming chapters. I'll do one more buildup chapter, maybe two if I think of something good. I will continue to dedicate time to Tali and Shepard, of course. **

* * *

His curfew had been nearly an hour ago, yet Martin found himself following the young quarian woman in front of him with very little hesitation. He was 19, a grown man, he could come home late if he wanted to. Besides, he doubted he could say no to Yala no matter what she asked. Staying out past curfew was barely a question. "Is there some reason you won't tell me where we are going?" he asked.

Yala stopped and looked back, mischief dancing in her eyes behind her visor. "Wait and see, it will be worth it," she said, brushing Martin's chin with her fingertips.

"Temptress," Martin said bitterly, which made Yala laugh. He loved that laugh so much. Of all the things he should be grateful to his father for, his teenage hormones had decided that convincing him to talk to Yala and make his move ranked second, barely behind ridding the galaxy of the Reapers. They continued to walk, further and further away from Tikdara. The lights indicating where the rows of houses both of them lived in where barely visible. Martin had no idea where they were going, but he blindly followed anyway.

Their houses were completely out of sight when Yala finally stopped. The moon was hidden by clouds, making the night nearly too dark for Martin to see two steps in front of him. For the final ten minutes of their walk Yala had led him by his hand because her helmet and visor allowed her to see what he could not. Once they stopped, she turned on the flashlight in her omnitool, and Martin did the same. He was a step to the right from falling off a cliff, and quickly stepped away, nearly tripping over a rock. "You almost led me right off a cliff, what the hell?"

Yala's eyes squinted behind visor, and Martin was sure she was smiling mockingly. "As if I would really just lead you off a cliff. Not accidentally anyway." Martin did not smile, and Yala placed a hand on her hip, tapping her foot. "You don't recognize where we are?" she asked.

Martin waved the light from his omnitool around, taking in the sights around him. The cliff looked basically the same as any other on the planet. Off in the distance he could make out the faint silhouette of some large building. He approached the cliff and looked down to the valley below, and it suddenly hit him where they were. "This is where my dad killed that Reaper!" he exclaimed. He blushed, staring at the ground. "And where I asked you out on our first date." Martin had been so nervous as they walked along the cliff, trying to gather up his courage. Deciding to ask at this spot was a stupid way to hope that Yala wouldn't be able to say no.

Yala nodded. "That's correct. Took you long enough to realize," she mocked. She stood next to Martin, and took his hand. Martin smiled goofily. Yala had always been a touchy person, even when they were just friends, and since they began dating she loved to hold his hand. Something about the contact just seemed to make her happy, and did the same for Martin. "I wanted to bring you her, because we've been dating for a year now, and I was trying to think of a special spot for what I want to do tonight." Martin watched her curiously, surprised to see his girlfriend's nervousness. "You've been a good boyfriend, and I want to give you a reward."

Yala turned to face Martin, and brought her hands up to her visor. Martin watched curiously as she took her visor off, revealing her face. It was not the first time he had seen it, but he still stared as if it was. She was so beautiful, with flawless skin, enrapturing eyes he could stare at forever, and a smile that could make him do anything. That smile showed itself again, and Martin found himself lost in both her smile and her eyes. The two of them stood there staring for what felt like hours. Martin was about to ask what his reward was when Yala leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his. He stood there, stunned and unable to react. He opened his mouth to say something, but was silent. Yala did not say anything either, moving to kiss him again, this time for much longer. Martin returned the kiss vigorously, pulling Yala tight against him.

Once they separated the second time, both needed a few moments to catch their breath. Yala locked her visor back in place, smiling as she did so. "This may sound geeky, but that was my first kiss," he admitted.

"Me too," Yala said. "Kind of comes with being a quarian. I don't know if we did that very well, but I enjoyed it. How about you?" Martin nodded enthusiastically. "Well that's good. Otherwise I might not have done this for you again."

* * *

Shepard woke when he realized he was alone in bed. He checked the clock and saw it was two in the morning. Blinking rapidly to wake himself fully, he got out of bed and left the room. First thing he did was check Martin's room, and upon seeing the bed was empty he knew immediately why Tali was not in bed. As expected, Shepard found his bondmate in the living room, dressed in her envirosuit without the visor. She liked to keep the visor off when in their home, and the beautiful face the visor hid was an expected sight to anyone who spent any significant time in the Shepard home. "I knew you'd be out here. The boy's 19, you don't have to wait up for him when he isn't home on time. He can take care of himself."

"He has a curfew. I don't care how old he is." Tali crossed her arms, staring at the wall ahead. "Maybe if you disciplined him when he broke the rules we set, he would stop breaking them."

"He's nearly a grown man, Tali. If not for his Pilgrimage he would be on his own at some college right now."

Tali glared at her husband. "He made his choice to stay. Martin is not one to stay out so late without getting our permission. What if something happened to him?"

"Then we'd know," Shepard told her. Tali clearly wasn't satisfied, and continued to glare. He smiled lovingly at her. "I can't believe how protective and loyal a mother you are. Sorry if this is an insult, but I just did not see it coming, not to this degree."

"Screw you, you bosh'tet," Tali said, no real malice in her words. "Why would you be surprised that I am a good mother?"

"Don't twist my words that way, I said protective, not good."

"What's the difference? Isn't every good mother very protective of her children?" she asked.

"Maybe with quarians. Human moms are way different from each other, some are great moms while giving their kid distance and freedom, some are good moms like you are. Typically it depends on the parents that person grew up with. I never thought you'd be a strict parent because of the way you describe your parents."

"That's why I'm a strict parent," Tali said. "I don't want Martin to ever wonder if we love him, if we care for him, if we would do anything to keep him safe and happy. I did not want him to grow up feeling the way I so often did, and I hope I succeeded at that. I hope he knows just how much I love him."

Shepard knelt in front of Tali and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "He knows. Nothing to worry about there, I promise."

Tali smiled back, a smile that disappeared when the front door opened as quietly as it possibly could. If Shepard and Tali had been asleep, they would not have heard it. Martin crept in and close the door behind him, barely making a sound. Shepard was quite amused at the sight. He couldn't help but wonder how many times Martin had snuck in and out of the house. The young man certainly appeared practiced at what he was doing. Tali stood, crossing her arms again, while Shepard moved to sit on the couch. When Martin turned around and saw both of his parents staring at him, he froze, face gone pale. The smile on his face beforehand did not go unnoticed to his father. "What are you doing coming home this late?" Tali asked forcefully.

"Um," Martin said, saying nothing else for ten seconds. "Yala and I went somewhere together."

"That's not a good reason to stay out so late without telling us," Tali said. "You should have called."

"I know, I'm sorry," Martin apologized. It was easy to tell by the look in his eyes that he was barely paying attention to his stepmother's lecturing. "Can we talk about this in the morning, I'm kind of tired."

Tali stormed towards Martin, grabbing his arm when the young man began to walk away. "I want to know why you were out so late. What did you do?"

"I told you, Yala and I went somewhere together. She wanted to take me to the cliff where dad killed that Reaper."

Shepard grinned, having a good idea why his son was so happy. Tali didn't know, or didn't care, as she continued to glare at their son. "And you didn't call to tell us this because?"

Martin was beginning to grow aggravated now, and Shepard could feel an argument coming. "I'm 19 years old, I can stay out as long as I feel like."

"Yes you can, as long as you tell us first," Tali said.

"Why do I have to tell you anything? I was out with my girlfriend, get over it!"

"We are your parents, and you still live in this house. Until that changes, you follow the rules set within this house!"

"You aren't my mom! Dad doesn't have a problem with me staying out, and I don't care if you do!"

Martin knew right away that he had gone too far. Shepard hurried over to the two of them, planning to say something, but the damage was done. Tali looked down, and sniffling a few times. She walked away, desperately trying not to cry. "Martin, what the hell!?" Shepard said, glaring at his son with a hostility he wasn't sure he ever had before.

"I…I don't know why I said that," Martin said quietly. "Oh crap, that was really messed up. Should I go apologize right now?"

"No. Let me talk to her first. If you go in there right now, she'll think I'm forcing you to." Shepard shook his head, looking at his son disapprovingly. "I cannot believe you said that after everything that Tali has done for you. You know how much she loves you. Damn it, Martin."

"I'm sorry," Martin said again. It was clear he meant it.

"I'm going to go talk to her. You go wait in your room, and if you fall asleep I'm waking your ass up. You will make this right." Martin nodded, and Shepard stormed away toward the bedroom he and Tali shared.

Unsurprisingly, Shepard found Tali laying on the bed, trying her hardest to muffle her crying with the pillow her face was buried in. He sat next to her, gently rubbing her back. Seeing the love of his life so distraught, he thought about leaving and bringing Martin back, just so his son could see how hard Tali had taken what he said. "Tali, he did not mean that. It was a stupid statement made out of anger."

"Yes he did," Tali said, voice muffled by the pillow. "I knew he felt that way, I told you he felt that way. All I am to him is the woman his dad is with, that he has to be nice to for your benefit."

Shepard's heart broke. "You have been there when he talks to others about you. He doesn't call you 'the woman he has to be nice to because my dad is with her.' He calls you his mom. Tali, he's a dumb young man craving freedom, who no longer feels he needs the care and attention we gave him when he was younger. He just wanted to say something cruel to end the argument."

Tali lifted her face from the pillow, and Shepard could see the tears running down her cheeks, the damp spot on the pillow case. "I miss those days, when he spent all his time around us, and listened to everything we said. Keelah, he grew up too quick." She looked up at Shepard, eyes wide and searching for the truth. Her bottom lip trembled. "John, tell me the truth. Am I just that other woman? Does Martin love me? Does he even like me?" She looked away again. "Do you love me?"

Shepard did not hesitate to lower his face down to Tali's and plant a passionate kiss on her lips. His quarian bondmate did not hesitate to open her mouth and grant his tongue access, pulling him tightly to her. "10 years, Tali. We have been together for 10 years. I would not be here right now if I did not still love you. Of all the things you may worry about or question in your life, you never, ever, at any point, have to worry about whether I love you."

Tali smiled, a joyous sight. "What about Martin? Can you say the same thing about him?"

"No, I can't," Shepard said. Tali's eyes watered for a moment, until Shepard held up his hand. "I am not my son. I will not speak for him. He can speak for himself." Shepard stood from the bed and left their bedroom. A minute later, he was back with Martin in tow. "I'll leave you two alone."

Tali sat up, waiting nervously for Martin to say something. She began to wring her hands, something she had not done in a very long time. The young man sat in the chair at the room's desk. "I can't just say I'm sorry for what I said, because that's not enough. I completely regret it, you don't deserve to be treated that way. You have been too good to me."

"If you meant it, you meant it."

"I didn't mean it, Tali, not at all," Martin said, with all the sincerity he could manage. "I could never mean that. I was being an immature little punk. I can't apologize enough."

Tali smiled faintly. "I told you a long time ago that I know I could never replace your actual mother. I still love you like you are my son, and I always have your best interest in mind, everything I have done since you've known me was to be the best parent I could be."

Martin smiled, the goofy smile Tali loved to see, and walked over to the bed to hug Tali. "I told you a long time ago that you are a great mom, and I meant that. I don't introduce you to others as my mom because I feel I have to or to keep dad from getting mad at me, I say it because you are my mom, you have been my mom for the last 9 years. I love you, mom."

Tali smiled brightly, the jarring change in emotion over the last few minutes exhausting her. "And you are my son. I love you, too."

The rest of that night's sleep was among the best Tali had ever gotten. She woke up peacefully, the first thing her eyes saw being Shepard's sleeping face. It always made her chuckle to see his mouth open, hair messed up by sleep, completely relaxed as he breathed in and out slowly. The quarian woman snuggled close to her bondmate, planting small kisses along his neck and jaw. It was not long before Shepard woke, a sleepy moan of appreciation escaping his lips. "That is always the best way to wake up," he said, voice husky and dry. "Looks like you are feeling happier."

"Very," Tali said happily.

* * *

"Move! Move!" Shepard barked out, watching his son frantically navigate the obstacles in front of him. The young man was moving as fast as he could, far behind military standards but an improvement over the last three times he had run the course. As taught, Martin trained his gun forward, hitting the targets as they popped up. Besides the improved speed and efficiency with which he was running the course, Martin seemed to be able to differentiate at a moment's notice the difference between civilians and merc targets.

He finished the course in two minutes exactly, a huge smile on his face as he took a seat on the ground. "Time?"

"Two minutes exactly. Damn good, Martin, damn good." Shepard smiled back at his son. "You only missed two targets, and did not hit any of the civilians. Another week and you'll be able to run this course blindfolded."

"I don't know about that," Martin said sheepishly.

"I do, you have good genes, son," Shepard told him proudly. "You're fast, intelligent, and adaptable. You learned to shoot in no time, and you're a hell of a shot now. If I wanted to, I could mold you into a goddamn super soldier."

Martin looked up thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound so bad." Shepard rolled his eyes, motioning to his son to follow as they left the training area of the military base. The former Spectre had been personally training his son for four months now, starting two months after his 19th birthday. Martin had suggested the idea, and while Shepard was initially reluctant, Tali had insisted. It was standard policy for future Pilgrims to be prepared for their Pilgrimages anyway, and who better than one of the greatest soldiers and overall figures that ever existed to prepare Martin? So they had decided that it would be for the best if Shepard personally handled preparing Martin for his Pilgrimage.

The combat training was easily Martin's favorite, and most of the focus of his preparation. While Martin had spent the last 9 years of his life living on Rannoch, he still had plenty of experience with other cultures from his childhood, and as a human he simply would not face the same prejudice that other quarians needed preparation for. It was almost all about preparing his son to defend himself.

They made their way to a gym within the base, where mats covered the ground in a thirty foot area to allow soldiers to spar. No one occupied those mats right now, though there were two quarian marines using the free weights. Both gave Shepard a courteous nod and continued their workouts. Shepard brought his son over to the mats and kicked off his shoes. Martin did the same, and the two took up position across from each other.

As usual, Shepard found his son learned very quickly, and an hour later every move he attempted was being counter beautifully by Martin. It certainly helped that Martin had grown to be a physically imposing young man, two inches taller than Shepard and in as good shape as you would find outside the military. Every day that they sparred, Shepard found himself surprised by the speed and strength his son had. It was time for the last maneuver of the day, one that Shepard had not warned his son about. They circled each other, eyes intensely focused on each others' movements. Shepard took a step forward, and quickly retreated backwards when Martin prepared to tackle him. That was the moment Shepard was waiting for.

Circling quickly to the right as Martin reached down, Shepard rushed him from the side and brought Martin the ground. With one arm pinned beneath him and the other under Shepard's control, Martin struggled to move. He managed to get the arm underneath him free, but when he tried to flip his father over, Shepard stood for a moment, and grabbed a hold of both arms with one hand. Using the leverage as Martin struggled to pull his arms free, he flipped his son over, placing a knee on his back without ever letting go of his arm. "Mercy, mercy, I give in!" Martin shouted. Shepard immediately let go. He wasn't trying to hurt the kid, after all. "What the hell, you've been holding way back."

"Of course, you didn't really think you were capable of kicking my ass, did you?" When Martin looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well now you know how far away you are."

"That's kind of discouraging, dad."

"Nonsense, it just gives you a goal to strive for. Besides, the chances of you having to fight someone as good as me on your Pilgrimage are slim to none." Martin shrugged, and pushed his dad's hand away when he used it to ruffle the young man's hair. "Come on, that's enough for today."

* * *

Tali's head felt ready to explode when she arrived home that night. Every day she seemed to have less patience for the trivial issues constantly brought before the Admiralty Board. Today had mainly focused on arguments over farmland and discontent over the continued limits on expansion out of the cities. That was the biggest issue. Since the limits on the number of children a couple could have no longer applied, the Quarian population increased by nearly three million after the Reaper war, sitting at just over 20 million. With such an increase in numbers, the three cities currently serving as the residence for everyone would be stretched thin as the children grew into adults. Requests were being made on a nearly daily basis for the permission to expand out of the cities and began populating the rural areas. So far those requests had been denied, but the civilians were becoming more and more insistent.

She was not made to be in this position, Tali realized as she walked through the front door of her home. She had been made an Admiral for her expertise fighting Geth. With the Geth no longer around, she was left to deal with issues she was inexperienced and under informed about. Maybe she would resign from the position and leave the job to someone who wanted it. The former ship captains that now sit on the Tikdara city council already did most the work, only needing Tali when there was some hotly debated issue they could not agree on. One of them would surely love the responsibility Tali was growing to despise.

The delicious smell of meat cooking assaulted Tali's nose the moment she closed the front door, drawing her to the kitchen. Shepard was cutting vegetables, much to her surprise dextro vegetables. She searched her memory for the last time Shepard had cooked a meal for Tali, figuring it had to be at least seven or eight months. When he saw her watching, Shepard grinned. "I have a roast in the oven. It will be done in ten minute, just about when I'm done chopping these up."

Tali removed her visor, kissing Shepard on the cheek and stealing one of the vegetables, much like a carrot that Shepard occasionally ate. It was not yet cooked, but still very good, very crunchy. She winked at her love as she walked away, noticing Martin sitting on the couch, legs sprawled in front of him. The boy looked exhausted. "Another tough day with the Commander, Martin?"

"Yes," he said wearily. "I also got taken down a notch today. Dad made it very clear that I'm no where near as good as him."

Tali laughed, taking a seat next to her son and patting his knee. "You couldn't have a better teacher. I can almost guarantee you won't find a better fighter than your father on Pilgrimage."

Martin nodded slowly. "Is there really a chance I'll have to use any of this? From what I've learned, Pilgrimages typically don't involve needing to be a freaking super soldier."

"Hopefully you won't. However, I didn't expect to need such skills on my Pilgrimage either, and they saved my life."

Martin stared at her curiously. "You know, I've never heard about your Pilgrimage."

"Yes you have," Tali said with a smirk. "After all, my Pilgrimage was when I met you father."

The look of shock in the young man's eyes was very funny. "You were on Pilgrimage when you and dad stopped Saren and Sovereign?" Tali nodded. "How the hell did I never know that? I've heard about the gift you brought back so many times, I guess it was common knowledge to everyone else when and how you obtained it. That is incredible." He buried his head in his hands. "As if I didn't have enough pressure because of my dad and knowing the gift you brought back. Now I find out my mom stopped the Reapers on her Pilgrimage."

"You do not need to try and match what we did. The Pilgrimage isn't about what you accomplish, or making some great difference in the galaxy. It is about growth, about maturity, about obtaining a new perspective on the galaxy you cannot here on Rannoch. You have already been exposed to the rest of the galaxy, but this is still your opportunity to go out on your own and become the great person I know you will be, and your father knows you will be."

"What about the gift though?" Martin asked. "Considering what you brought back from your Pilgrimage, I'll have big expectations. What if I can't live up to your standard?"

"Screw the expectations," Tali said. "Presenting a gift is little more than a tradition for our people anymore. It was necessary when we did not have a home, but now it only continues because we have been doing so for so long. I wouldn't be surprised if the idea is scrapped in my lifetime." Martin shrugged, his typical gesture when he didn't know what to say. "Martin, you will do fine. You will go out, experience the universe, and come back a great man. I have no doubts that your Pilgrimage will be very successful." She hugged Martin close, and he returned the hug. "Just don't end up on a mission to save the galaxy, or your father and I will find you and force you to come home."

* * *

**Comments of all kinds are welcome! Thank you for reading.**


	12. Chapter 12

"You are such a jerk, take it back!" Yala said, glaring at Martin.

"No way, I'm sorry if you disagree but it's true. That was the worst one yet."

Yala shook her head, completely frustrated. "That was the best one since the fourth or fifth. I haven't had so much fun at a Blasto movie in years!"

"I guess it's just a personal opinion," Martin said, shrugging. "I haven't really liked a Blasto movie since the third on. I thought that was the best Blasto, and ever since they've been trying and failing to match it."

Yala continued shaking her head in disbelief, but took Martin's hand as they left the theatre and walked down the street. Even after years now of the two of them being together, there were still stares from other quarians, disapproving and condescending. Martin had learned to ignore them long ago, if they didn't have the guts to actually say something to him, he didn't give a damn what they thought. Yala found it harder to stay quiet, usually saying something along the lines of, "What the hell are you staring at, you bosh'tet!?" over and over until whoever was staring hurried away.

"I can't believe you managed to get passage on the same ship I'm leaving on," Yala said, gripping Martin's hand with both of hers and leaning against his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you so much while we're apart."

"I'll miss you, too. Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other often. It shouldn't be too hard for me to get a job, easier than it will be for you." That statement was meant to tease Yala, and as expected, she glared at him. "If not, it shouldn't take either of us that long before we are back on Rannoch. Can you last a few months without throwing yourself at another guy?"

Yala punched Martin in the side. "You know, Tali may not care that much about you and your dad teasing, but I swear the next time you make a joke about me throwing myself at another guy I'm going to break some of those beautiful teeth in your mouth."

Martin rubbed his side where he was punched. "Geez, sorry."

The two of them were about a mile away from the residential area when they saw a group of quarians kicking a football around. Martin almost immediately recognized one of them. "Jona!" he called out. He remembered the first time he saw quarian kids kicking a football around. It had surprised him that the game would be popular anywhere other than Earth.

Jona stopped and jogged over, a mix between a handshake and a hug shared between the two young men. He gave Yala a hug as well. "Did you two just finish watching the new Blasto?" he asked.

"Yes, and this jerk said he didn't like it," Yala said, crossing her arms and looking at Martin.

"Really? Why not?"

"The same reason I didn't like 4, 5, or 6," Martin said defensively. "I don't know why either of you would be surprised."

"Don't listen to him, it was the best one in years." Yala looked over to where the other quarians were still kicking the football. "Ooh, are you in the middle of a game?"

Jona shrugged. "Not really. Why, you two want to play?"

Yala looked at Martin excitedly, but he wasn't as excited. He wasn't terrible at football, the game was too popular amongst quarian kids for him to avoid playing it, but at the moment he didn't feel like playing. Seeing that Yala wanted to, he shrugged and nodded. His girlfriend hugged him and the two of them joined in the game.

An hour later, Yala, Martin, Jona, and a young man their age named Umar'Torah were celebrating a two goal victory. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow on the street and the buildings around them. Martin had always found the effect beautiful. He had spent more than a few nights sitting with Yala out in the plains or desert, watching the sun set. That sounded like a great idea at that moment. Before he could suggest it, Yala said, "Let's go to your house, Martin, Tali promises to tell me some stories about her Pilgrimage and show me a few engineering tricks." Martin nodded, and after saying goodbye to the others they were off, the quarian girl's hands once again intertwined with his as they walked.

Martin had been laying in bed for more than two hours now, but he was no closer to sleep than he had been when he first lay down. He was nervous, excited, terrified, anxious, he wanted to leave right then yet at the same time never wanted to leave. Tomorrow was the day. The ship he was boarding was leaving in the evening, which gave him one more day to spend with his parents and friends. Apparently Tali and his dad had planned out a full day of stuff to do, both as a farewell party and a reward for all the work he had put in preparing for his Pilgrimage. With such a full day ahead of him, Martin really wished he could fall asleep.

At some point, he actually managed to fall asleep, but it couldn't have been for long as he felt exhausted when the knock came on his bedroom door. Groaning as he opened his eyes, blinked furiously a few times, and finally kept them open, he noticed it was nine o'clock. He was supposed to be awake an hour and a half ago. He jumped out of bed, grabbed some random clothes, and headed for the shower.

The delicious smell of bacon and an omelet had spread through the entire house by the time Martin exited the bathroom, water still dripping from his hair. He threw his shirt on as quickly as he could, rushing out to the kitchen to see if breakfast was done. He had not been that hungry when he woke up, but the food he was smelling was making his stomach growl as if he had not eaten in a day. Surprisingly, Tali was the one cooking, which tempered his enthusiasm slightly until he realized she was cooking levo food and not her own. His dad was sitting on the living room couch, a blue folder opened on the table in front of him. "It's about time you got up," he said when Martin entered the room. "I thought I would have to drag you out of bed. Late night or something?"

Martin shrugged. "I got in bed at about midnight, but I just could not fall asleep. Nerves, I guess."

"Can't blame you there. It is going to take a while to get used to you not being here," Shepard said glumly.

"You'll get over it quick, I guarantee it," Martin said skeptically.

Shepard stared incredulously. "Um, have you not paid attention to Tali lately? She won't let me forget that you're gone. Be prepared for a lot of calls from her."

"I can hear everything you are saying," Tali shouted from the kitchen, over the sizzling of bacon. "And you can bet your behinds that I will be making sure Martin is okay on a daily basis."

"Isn't the point of a Pilgrimage these days to learn independence? That's what you told me."

"You can be independent and still let your parents know you are okay," Tali countered.

* * *

After breakfast, Tali brought Martin out to the backyard, where a workbench was covered in various electronics. She grabbed the one furthest to the left, a small component from a computer console. They had been doing this for months now, Tali showing Martin how to fix various things that he would need to know how to fix on a ship or colony, and then having him identify what was broken on them at a later date. Over the past couple of weeks, she had been showing him how to fix simpler things like computers, monitors, consoles he would be interacting with, and things of that nature. "Take a look at this," she said, holding up the component. "What's wrong with it?"

Martin studied it intently, checking everything. All the proper wires appeared to be there. Nothing was cracked. None of the wires were stretched or worn to a point they should not work. This one was a challenge. Martin took the component from Tali's hands so he could get a closer look. He twisted it around in his hands, studying it. "These wires are mixed up, they should each be connected where the other is. That looks like the only problem."

"Very good," Tali said, smiling. She motioned to another component, too large to move from the bench, which he recognized as part of the guns typically on Quarian ships.

Martin only needed a few moments to see what was wrong. "The casing is cracked right here. Two separate cables are thinned, exposing the wires. The mechanism right here isn't functioning properly." Tali nodded. Martin grinned, proud of himself.

After Tali's tests, which Martin passed with flying colors, Shepard took him to their home gym for sparring, while Tali walked off. Shepard tried a few moves, grinning as Martin countered them all correctly. He even tried a tricky move he had never showed before, where he managed to grab his son's left leg and maneuver behind him, never letting go of the leg, but Martin got out of it without even hitting the ground. They sparred for about an hour before they stopped. "You are definitely ready," Shepard said. "You're almost as good as I was at your age."

"Almost?" Martin asked cockily.

"I can still kick your ass, boy," Shepard said. The door buzzer rang, and the former Spectre slapped his son on the back. "Come on, let's go see who's here."

Shepard walked out of the room first, so he could see if everyone had arrived. When he saw the many strange faces outside in the living room, he hurried out to join them before Martin left. Martin walked out, freezing when he saw all the faces. "Surprise!" everyone yelled, cheering as Martin approached nervously. They had invited all of Martin's friends that they knew about, Yala obviously since she was his girlfriend, Admirals Koris and Raan had come, and a couple of the families that lived on their street as well. Yala was the first to move towards Martin of course, embracing him tightly. Shepard did not miss the intense gaze Tali was giving in their direction. Everyone else moved towards the young man as well, and the celebration began.

Martin of course ended up on the couch in the living room, surrounded by his friends, their laughter loud as they talked. Tali was talking to the neighbors, and Shepard ended up in the kitchen with Koris and Raan, talking about the contents of the blue folder he had received the previous day. "That is simply too pushy a demand, Shepard," Koris was saying. "The Admiralty Board has never denied reasonable requests, but your Alliance is taking advantage of our goodwill and your reputation to attempt to strong arm our people."

"I understand that, and believe me they will back off after one word. You know us humans are pushy, but the Alliance aren't jerks. They'll back off."

"I hope you are right," Raan chimed in. "We would like to help, but such a request is unreasonable and insulting."

"Admirals, you have no worries. I will deal with this tomorrow, when Martin has left for his Pilgrimage."

"Thank you Shepard," Raan said. "Also, how many times must I tell you to call me Shala?"

"Same here, we have known each other long enough for you to call me Zaal."

Shepard nodded. "I know. Habits are hard to break though." Koris laughed and walked over to where Tali was still talking with the neighbors, excitedly describing something. That left Raan and Shepard alone, which always made the former Spectre nervous. Raan had never been anything less than cordial in the time he had lived on Rannoch, but she was the closest thing Tali had to a mother. He was always one edge around her. "I promise, Shala, I will handle this. I would never let the Alliance bully you guys around."

"I know that, Shepard, you have lived up to every bit of the reputation I heard before I ever met you." Raan briefly looked at Tali. "How is she doing?" Shepard looked at Raan with confusion. "It can't be easy for her to watch Martin leave. She's truly adopted Martin as her own."

"She has been fine," Shepard said. "Maybe it won't hit her until after he's gone, but I think she's as excited for Martin as he is for himself."

He could tell Raan was smiling. "I am so glad I was wrong about you two. I thought you would pull Tali away from her people, and eventually break her heart. No offense, Shepard, but I've never seen a human as loyal as you are."

"No offense taken," Shepard said with a laugh. "There are plenty of loyal people in every race, and it's easy to stay in love with a woman as great as Tali is."

"She truly loves you both, John. I hope you understand just how much she loves you."

Shepard had to fight not to roll his eyes. "We've had this discussion before."

"You're right, I'm sorry."

* * *

Martin stood at the spaceport, legs suddenly betraying him. To one side stood his parents, and to the other side stood Yala and her parents. Every step he took was shaky, frightened, unsure. Yala's hand gripped his tightly, showing her uncertainty as well. He had been excited to leave all day, yet now that it was time, the gravity of the moment was hitting him. He was leaving home. It was time for his Pilgrimage. He wondered what Yala was thinking, what Tali had been thinking when it was time for her to leave. That thought gave him strength. When Tali had left, she had left with all the expectations placed on her by her father, and knowing she needed to bring back some tremendous gift in order to avoid the whispers of disappointment. Compared to that, Martin had no right to be so nervous.

The ship Martin and Yala were boarding, a decently sized human ship appropriately named the Voyage, owned by a merchant, was up ahead, a few members of its crew standing outside and making small talk. Martin took a deep breath and squeezed Yala's hand tightly. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned his head to see the hand belonged to his father. "It's time, buddy." Martin nodded, and hugged his father. "You'll do great out there. Take care of yourself, remember everything Tali and I taught you."

"I will, dad." The two separated, and a moment later, Tali sprung forward, taking her turn to hug him. "Thank you for everything, Tali."

"Of course, but don't talk like that. It makes it sound like you are never coming back." She backed away, surprisingly still upbeat. "You make sure to contact us every few days, at least once a week, you understand? I don't care what you are doing, it takes no time at all to type up and send a message."

"Understood."

"Good."

Martin hugged each of his parents one more time, and looked over to Yala, who was still hugging her parents, a few sniffles escaping. When she was done, she walked over to Martin. "Thank you for everything you've showed me, Admiral Shepard," she said.

"Yala, how many times have I told you not to call me Admiral Shepard?"

"Yes ma'am, I mean, Tali." Yala joined hr hands behind her back sheepishly, as she often did in Tali's presence.

Unsurprisingly to Martin, his stepmother brought Yala into a hug. "You take care of yourself, and make sure this boy keeps in contact with us. Yala nodded. Finally it was time for the two of them to leave. Both Martin and Yala took a deep breath, and walked as confidently as they could manage towards their awaiting ship.

The ship was nothing special, especially compared to the military ships both Martin and Yala had seen in their lives. The captain, last name of Harrison, was completely cordial to Martin, slightly less so to Yala but still friendly. After he showed the two their quarters, a small, cramped room with two cots to sleep in, he brought them to engineering so the lead engineer could give assign them their duties.

Engineer Wesley treated both of them with immediate respect and friendliness, explaining the shifts they would be working in and what duties they would be expected to perform. He told jokes far too often, which was kind of annoying, but Martin preferred someone too friendly to someone who would treat him or Yala like shit. The two pilgrims were not expected to do much, mainly working alongside more experienced engineers and performing whatever help they needed, as well as non critical maintenance. Despite a relatively easy workload to begin with, Martin found himself feeling exhausted, as the excitement and stress of the day caught up to him. When he and Yala were off duty, they ended up laying on the cots in their small room, exchanging stories about the people they had met that day.

Martin had been rambling about when he met the son of the merchant who owned the ship for about ten minutes, not noticing that Yala had been silent the entire time. He stopped, looking over at her. At first he thought she had fallen asleep, until she turned her head towards him. "That's a strange place to stop telling the story," she said.

"I thought you fell asleep. Couldn't blame you, its been a long day."

"Keelah, has it ever," Yala said, sighing loudly and staring up at the ceiling again. "I can't believe it, I'm serving on a ship! Even if it's only for a few days, I'm a productive member of a ship's crew! I remember following my mother and father around the Tonbay, learning everything I could, waiting for the day I would get an opportunity to do what they did. As great as it was when we took the homeworld, I wondered if I would ever get a chance to live that dream, and here I am. I am so happy right now!"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Martin said, grinning at his girlfriend. He reached a hand over, and she offered hers. The two held each others' hands as they lay on their cots. "So are you still getting off the ship at Eden Prime?" he asked. Yala nodded. "That just seems like a weird place for a quarian on Pilgrimage to be."

"It's arguably the most successful human colony. At some point quarians will begin colonizing again, and where better to learn how to successfully establish a colony? Besides, I've heard from various friends that went on Pilgrimage that Eden Prime is looking for any help they can get expanding the colony and setting up some new defense system. It's as good an opportunity as any other out there."

"That's true," Martin agreed.

"Where are you going to get off the ship? Have you decided yet?"

"Probably Mars, maybe Earth itself. I had the same idea, that the best gift to bring back would be knowledge of how other races throughout the galaxy have established their best colonies. I may not be quarian, but I'd still like to bring back one hell of a gift, if for no other reason than to rub it in the faces of everyone who thinks I'm making a mockery of the tradition."

"Forget those creeps," Yala said hotly. It always aggravated her when anyone disrespected Martin, and the brief argument over whether Martin should be allowed to go on Pilgrimage a year earlier had caused her to say a few things she regretted to Admiral Raan. "They will all look like idiots when you return with a great gift, and as a better person than they could ever hope to be."

The two again lay silently, still holding each others' hands. Martin thought about everything that had happened that day, and what exactly he would be doing on his Pilgrimage. Without the necessity of a gift, the idea of a Pilgrimage had lost much of it's focus. Pilgrims were returning to Rannoch with subpar gifts, in time periods ranging from as short as a month or two to as long as two years. It seemingly came down to when a Pilgrim wanted to return, if they felt they were ready to return and begin the journey of adulthood. Martin had vowed months ago that he would not be that person. He would not go back to Rannoch until he had a gift to present that would make everyone that tried to stop him from going look like the bastards they were. The events of the day finally began to take their toll on Martin, and his eyes began to droop closed.

* * *

Shepard lay in bed, the only sound in the room the light breathing of his bondmate. It was late, but Shepard found himself unable to sleep. Too many thoughts were running through his head. How was Martin doing? Was the captain of the ship treating him fairly? Would the crew treat him fairly? Would the kid stay safe when he got off the ship? How long would Martin be gone? No matter how hard he tried to relax and fall asleep, Shepard's mind was simply too preoccupied. He hoped he would hear from his son sometime soon.

Shepard was looking forward to the day his son returned triumphantly from his Pilgrimage. No matter how it turned out he would be proud of Martin, but he knew his son, and he knew Martin would only return when he had accomplished something great. Not that he wished such expectations on his son, it was just the type of man Martin had grown up to be.

As was normal when Shepard could not sleep, he ended up on the extranet console in the bedroom, checking out all the latest news being reported. Many of the top news articles that day involved the increasing number of protests being staged by Terra Firma. It was no secret within the Alliance that many of the remaining elements of Cerberus had ended up flocking to Terra Firma, and there had been a fear for years now that the anti alien group would assume the terrorist activities of the Illusive Man's former organization. Luckily, to this point, no such thing had happened, not that could be proven anyway. Shepard had his own suspicions. The protests he read about were of the typical sort, "No blood for aliens" and "Take Earth back for humanity" being the most common shouts at these protests, which took place on Earth, the Citadel, and basically every important human colony. He couldn't help but worry about Terra Firma's goals these days, with so many former members of Cerberus involved.

Even an hour and a half on the extranet did nothing to tire Shepard. He heard a soft, feminine sigh, and turned around to see Tali shifting in bed, pushing the blanket down to her waist so it only covered her legs. A sudden stirring within him caused Shepard to crawl into bed and begin planting soft kisses on his bondmate's neck. A minute later Tali began to stir, moaning from the attention she was receiving. "Can't sleep?" she asked rhetorically.

"No. Also, it came to my mind that there isn't anyone else in the house we have to worry about." Tali turned towards Shepard, shaking her head. "You can't tell me you haven't been thinking the same thing."


	13. Chapter 13

The shields had been giving Martin problems all day, problems popping up every time he seemingly had everything solved. He had been working for nearly three hours now, without a single break. The shields refused to give him a chance to take a break. "Come on!" Martin hissed when the shields towards starboard dropped to seventy percent.

"What in the world is happening over here?" Engineer Wesley asked, walking over to the frustrated young man.

"These damned shields are pissing me off!"

Wesley gently pushed Martin aside so he could examine the console in front of them. "I don't get it, what's the problem?"

"What do you mean? I cannot get the shields to stay at full power throughout the entire ship. Every time I manage to restore a section back to one hundred percent, another section drops to sixty or seventy again. In some areas I've gotten false readouts and I've had to repair that. These things won't work right!" Wesley shook his head, laughing. "What?"

"Kid, this isn't a military grade ship. It's a poor little merchant vessel. There are always going to be problems. You have a large portion of our shields at one hundred percent, that's better than what I'm used to."

Martin stared, dumbfounded. "That's crazy, that's something we need to fix."

"Martin, trust me, it's fine. Go take a break, you're going to drive yourself insane."

Martin wanted to argue, but decided to defer to his superior's judgment. He was still thinking of potential solutions when he walked away, taking a set of stairs up to the small mess hall. He noticed the captain's second in command sitting at the table, eating his dinner, and acknowledged him with a nod. Three hours of stressful work had made the young man quite thirsty, and Martin grabbed two bottles of water, chugging the first down in about half a minute. The cramped, heated confines of engineering always made him sweat and almost always gave him quite the appetite as well. Knowing that, he had eaten a sizable breakfast before his shift began.

After four days serving on the Voyage, Martin had already grown quite acclimated to ship life. He would serve his shifts in engineering, working on whatever they would let him, eat his meals with the crew, spend what spare time he could with Yala, and get a few hours of sleep. The two other engineers besides Wesley treated him friendly, and of course Wesley himself treated Martin with respect. He wouldn't say he was exactly friends with any of them, Martin wasn't going to be on the ship long enough for him to care about being anything other than a good coworker to these others, but they got along just fine.

Martin did worry about how Yala was getting along. With every passing day she seemed slightly more depressed than the previous day. She still had her same cheery disposition, but it seemed forced the past day or two, compared to the natural cheer the young quarian woman normally possessed. The first thought that came to Martin was that the crew had not been treating her fairly, but Yala insisted that she had been treated no differently from the rest of the crew. Whatever was bothering her, she had not been willing to talk about it yet, and that was beginning to worry Martin. The two of them had worked the same shifts, and were usually near each other, but that day Yala had been assigned to a later shift and taken the opportunity to catch up on sleep. With no one besides the captain's second in command in the mess hall, Martin decided to take his water to the cabin he and Yala were sharing.

His girlfriend was laying on her cot, reading something on her omnitool when Martin entered. She looked his way, and Martin could tell by the way her eyes crinkled that she was smiling at him. "Hi, how is it going out there?" she greeted.

"Very, very frustrating, as always," Martin said, gripping Yala's free hand and kissing it. "What are you reading?"

"Just some news, so I can see what's happening in this massive galaxy I will be living in for the foreseeable future. Can you believe that there are still Reapers being found on some planets? They just found two Sovereign class Reapers near some mercenary base in the Shrike Abyssal."

"That's crazy," Martin said. "It's been so long since the war ended."

"I know, I was just thinking the same thing. How is it possible to go this long and not find something that big?" The laugh that escaped the young woman sounded somewhat insincere. "Well, um, I think I'm going to go get a tube of paste," she said, suddenly appearing desperate to leave the room.

That was the final straw to make Martin force her to talk. He stood in Yala's way, not letting her leave the cabin, until finally she stopped and placed a hand on her hip, staring up at him. "Come on, when are you going to tell me what's wrong with you?" Martin asked.

"Nothing's wrong," she insisted, as always.

"I've never seen you force yourself to be happy before. It's freaking me out and making me wonder if I did something to make you upset."

"No! Keelah, no, you didn't do anything. It's, well it's kind of stupid, you know?"

Martin sighed. "No, I don't know. That's why I'm asking."

Yala took a seat on her cot. "I'm just freaking out because I'll be off the ship in two days when we reach Eden Prime. Reality is starting to hit me. I'm scared, scared of how I'll be treated, scared of whether my Pilgrimage will go well, scared of not seeing my parents for so long. And I know you will make fun of me, but I'm kind of scared about being away from you. It's been almost two years since we've gone more than a day, two at most without seeing each other. Now it will be months. Same with my parents, I've never spent much time away from them, now I won't see them for a very long time. For the first time, everyone I'll be completely isolated from everyone I care about."

Martin sat on his cot and took his girlfriend's hands. "You won't be completely isolated, we do have omnitools after all. It's not that hard to send each other a message, we've both been doing it so far to stay in contact with our parents."

"It's not the same though," Yala complained. "I'll get over it and deal with the situation, it's just a lot to deal with."

"Meh, you'll be fine. Just no falling in love with anyone else, okay?" The fist that came towards his jaw was a surprise, but Martin managed to react in time to avoid it. "What the hell, why'd you do that?"

Yala's eyes narrowed. "I told you last time that I would knock out your teeth the next time you made a joke about me being unfaithful. I wasn't joking."

Martin chuckled uneasily. "Okay, sorry. I won't do it again."

* * *

It was not the first time he had been on Mars, but Martin had been eight years old the last time he was there. Now, twelve years later, he stepped off the Voyage at Hammond Spaceport in Lowell City, luggage gripped tightly in his hands, taking unsteady steps towards the check-in area ahead. When he reached the desk, his hands fumbled around in his pocket and dropped his passport when he finally fished it from his pocket. The woman behind the desk, an older woman, offered a calming smile in his direction. Once his passport was stamped and he was able to leave the spaceport, the sense of dread overwhelmed him again.

Lowell City was much different than it had been last time Martin was there, growing from an average sized city to a full blown metropolis. Since the end of the Reaper War, millions of displaced colonists and civilians from Earth had moved to Mars, and Lowell City's own population had increased by three million, double what it had been before the war. This had placed an obvious strain on the resources of the city, but Martin Capital, with lots of help from its new citizens, had built new homes, opened new businesses, and at this time was a thriving metropolis. Martin could see the differences as he took a taxi to his destination, an apartment building that he had already put a down payment on an apartment at. The buildings were larger, the restaurants were more diverse, there were dozens of entertainment centers were there had been none before, much of the open space that had once existed was gone. That made him somewhat sad, as the taxi passed a mall that had been placed where there used to be a park. He remembered his parents bringing him to this park when he was six years old, a few short months before they were divorced. They had seemed so happy, even looking back on that day with the knowledge of an adult, he still would never have guessed at the time that they had been on the verge of separation. A small part of Martin had been looking forward to seeing that park again, and was disappointed to see the mall there instead.

The apartment was nice, bland and a little cramped, but it would more than serve the purpose he needed it to. He had chosen the apartment building for its close proximity to three separate potential job opportunities, and that mattered more than having to walk a decent distance to buy anything he needed. The landlord, surprisingly an asari named Baera Jalas, had been somewhat cold to Martin, but he didn't particularly care. Once he had put his luggage down, eaten an energy bar and taken a breath for the first time that day, he left to get everything he would need for his new apartment.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Tali had immediately hurried to the computer in the living room when she arrived home, not even stopping to give Shepard a hug. It had been her routine every day of the two weeks since Martin had left on Pilgrimage. Only after she saw that there were no new messages from their son did Tali greet her bondmate, removing her visor and giving him a kiss. "Han'Gerrel is insistent that you meet with him tomorrow," she told him.

Shepard groaned. He remembered the days when he thought Gerrel was a good man, back during Tali's trial. Maybe he had been blinded because Gerrel was the only one of the three Admirals on Tali's side that day. "About Xen and the Geth again?" Daro'Xen had only grown crazier in the years since the Reaper War, only performing her duties as an Admiral when she absolutely had to. Over the last three months, rumors had sprung up that she recovered somewhere between forty and seventy inactive Geth units, and was attempting to reactivate them. Xen, of course, had dismissed these rumors as outright lies, and there was no real proof that she was doing such a thing. Gerrel, however, was absolutely convinced the rumors were true, as were both Shepard and Tali. Shepard, in particular, had never forgotten Xen's claims that she wanted to return the Geth to their rightful place as servants of the Quarian race.

Tali nodded. She believed the rumors as well, though she was hesitant to act without any proof. "He is certain, Shepard. He isn't going to give this up. Today he was ranting about how there are hundred of potential places where Xen could be hiding the research she's performing."

"Do you think he's right?"

"Do you?"

Shepard smirked. "I asked first."

"Keelah, I don't know. I'll never forget how Xen acted during the fight to take back the homeworld. She was insane. If there's no proof, however, we have no right to continue to harass her."

Shepard nodded. "Agreed. I'm almost as certain as Gerrel that she's doing something, though. I'll talk to him tomorrow, and see if there's anything new to investigate."

Gerrel was in an agitated state when Shepard walked into his office the next morning, his every movement tense. The handshake between the two was forceful, and Gerrel sat down quickly afterwards. Not for the first time, Shepard wondered he was always called upon whenever the Admirals were having a problem. "Commander, I'm glad you came. I think I have a lead on the location where Xen is keeping her geth."

"Good morning, Admiral," Shepard said.

"Yes, yes, good morning. As I was saying, I've had a tail on Xen for two weeks, and two days ago he finally followed her somewhere worth reporting." Herrel spread a map out over his desk. "There are three abandoned mines in the mountains here, predating our exile from Rannoch. We have not yet reopened these mines, yet Xen was seen riding in a truck with two others. Crates had been piled into the truck, which were then removed and placed inside one of the three abandoned mines."

As much as he did not want to admit it, Gerrel was making more than a little sense. "Why haven't these mines been reopened yet?"

"About a year ago, power was restored and we were ready to do so. The mines were supposed to reopen six months ago. However, Xen opposed the opening, and had about fifteen former captains living near the mines siding with her. Since many of those captains were among the most influential and respected of the former Patrol Fleet, Raan sided with them as well. There was too much potential for unrest, so we decided not to open them, despite myself, Tali'Shepard, and Zaal'Koris wanting to reopen the mine."

The pieces certainly fit, if the story was true. "So there's power, a secure location, and little risk of anyone accidentally stumbling across anything she wouldn't want found. I think you found her out, Han." The admiral leaned back, his smug grin evident even with the visor hiding his face. For some reason, Shepard realized at that moment that Tali was still the only admiral that ever showed her face in public. Probably a generational thing, Tali was also the youngest admiral by quite a large margin, and many of the quarians who showed their faces in public were younger. "It shouldn't be that hard to check out, either. I'm sure you could arrange an official inspection of the mines in a day or two. If Xen objects, it only makes her more suspicious."

Gerrel nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking, Shepard."

* * *

The giddiness Martin felt when he saw there was an audio message from Yala was probably way too childish for someone his age, but he did not care. He had not heard from his girlfriend in two days, and was beginning to wonder if something had happened. For all the progress quarians had made restoring their status in the galaxy , old prejudices still existed. On a colony such as Eden Prime, it was not hard to imagine Yala facing such prejudice and having a tough time finding work or a place to live. He opened the message, sitting on the crappy chair he had bought for his apartment.

"Keelah, it's about time I got a free moment to talk to you!" the message started. Martin realized how much he missed Yala's voice. "How are you doing, Martin? Sorry I haven't contacted you for a couple of days, things have been somewhat hectic. I lost one job, and was forced to leave the apartment I had rented. Don't worry! I got another job repairing farm equipment, and the family that hired me has offered me lodging since they cannot pay me what they feel they should. They are very nice, they saw a picture I have of you with your parents, and told me that they knew Commander Shepard, that he had saved their lives years ago." Martin took a deep breath, the worry leaving his mind. Where hadn't his father been in his life. The message continued, "I have to admit, I'm getting kind of worried, and might leave Eden Prime when I can. Terra Firma has been quite disruptive, staging protests anywhere that there is a nonhuman presence. That's why I was glad to find a farm to work at, where the only people I have to deal with are a friendly family."

Martin's worry immediately returned. Terra Firma's numbers seemed to increase daily, and they were quite active anywhere that nonhumans mixed with humanity. Their protests were pretty much normal even on Lowell City. Dozens of them could be seen during his walk to work every day, and more than a few times he had heard things from those protestors that made him want to stop and punch them. "Anyway, I have to go, but I'll send you another message later tonight. I love you, contact me when you can." The message ended, and Martin sighed. He would have to write a message for Yala during his lunch break.

As usual, the Terra Firma protestors were in front of an apartment building that Martin passed by every day on his way to work, about a couple dozen today. Their slogans seemed tame compared to normal, for once not saying insulting things about nonhumans. Instead they were spouting off about humanity standing alone. Two of the protestors tried to get Martin's attention, but as usual he ignored them. He was nearly away when he heard a booming voice, definitely not human, threatening someone behind him. Martin turned around, and quickly spotted two krogan with very unhappy expressions standing near the entrance to the apartment. "If you don't get out of my way, I'll take that sign and shove it up your ass!" one of them shouted.

"Lowell City is a symbol of human strength and advancement! There is no place for your kind or any other alien on Mars!"

Martin knew he should just ignore the scene and go to work, but he couldn't help but watch. The krogans continued to argue with the Terra Firma protestors, who slowly began to bunch together. The krogans were soon surrounded by a large circle of angry humans. It was hard to tell who made the first move, but within moments the Krogan were fighting as hard as they could while the Terra Firma members swarmed them. The decision to help was easy for Martin, his natural instinct to help kicking in immediately. He used his omnitool to place a call to the police, and rushed towards the fray.

Two turians exited the apartments and begun helping fight off the humans. Three of the Terra Firma members saw Martin approaching, but must have assumed he was coming to help as they turned back to the fight, ignoring him. Martin grabbed the first person he saw and threw them away, doing the same with everyone in his way. Eventually the mob caught on and began wailing on Martin, a multitude of fists and forearms raining down on his back and head. More nonhumans, an asari and another turian, had exited the apartment and a full scale riot was taking place in front of the building. Martin remembered the training his father had given him to the best of his ability, dodging the crude blows and placing his punches in areas that made his assailants back away.

Eventually he reached the krogan, both half mad from pain and anger, lashing out fists at anyone near them. Orange blood flowed from their mouths and on a few spots where clothing had been torn away, the wounds deeper than any human scratch could have possibly created. Martin spotted one knife in the hand of a large man, and kicked the man in the knee before wrenching his arm, making him drop the weapon. One of the krogan swung a massive fist in his direction, but Martin avoided it, scanning the mob for any other weapons. He spotted a jagged piece of metal, a crude weapon, in another Terra Firma hand, but this person was too far away for him to reach. Luckily, one of the turians reached the man and managed to avoid two wide swipes before disarming him.

Martin being a human managed to keep attention away from him for a few minutes, but soon the Terra Firma protestors caught on and began overwhelming him. Bruises began piling up on the young man's body as he defended himself, managing to knock two people unconscious. Four separate men his age teamed up on him, knocking Martin to the ground. The expected punch or kick to follow never came, and moments later a three fingered hand lifted him to his feet. Martin looked up into the smiling face of one of the krogans he had been trying to help. "Let's kick these racist bastards' asses!" the krogan shouted, and Martin nodded, throwing a punch at the nearest Terra Firma member near him.

The police did not arrive for another eight minutes, and by that time everyone involved in the fight were carrying bruises, cuts, and in some cases a few broken bones. Martin could feel a stream of blood running down the side of his face from a small cut near his hairline, and a few bones in his left fist were definitely broken. The asari had ended up unconscious after being hit in the back of the head with a piece of wood, one of the krogans having dragged her away from the fight. Both turians were bleeding around their faces as well. Despite those wounds, it was the Terra Firma protestors that were on the losing end of the fight. Four of them were laying unconscious, three more were incapacitated because of broken legs or arms, and those still fighting were getting the worse of the fight due to the sheer size and strength of both the krogans and turians. The fight was broken up quickly once the police arrived, the krogan backing off of their own volition while everyone else was simply too weak to resist. One tried, and was quickly subdued.

Everyone involved was handcuffed, and eventually placed into squad cars to be brought to a police station. Martin was placed in a car along with the krogan that had helped him up and one of the turians. They had ridden in silence for ten minutes when the krogan nudged him, asking, "Why did you help? I figured all you human bastards wanted us off Mars."

Martin shrugged. "I see those jerks outside that apartment building every day. It was just a matter of time before I ended up punching one of them, figured this was a good excuse to punch a lot of them."

The krogan laughed heartily. "That's an attitude I can respect! You're not a bad fighter for a kid. Where'd you learn to keep a level head in a scrap like that?"

"My dad. He was military." Martin figured he would keep his dad's name out of it, unless asked.

"Damn, another surprise. I didn't think humans taught their kids how to fight without a weapon and an advantage. I'll admit, I saw you running our way and I thought you were coming to try and kick my ass as well. Those Terra Firma bastards are getting out of hand."

"I've had enough of their shit," the turian chimed in. "I have to listen to them chant their racist slogans every day. If we were doing what they are doing outside of a human dominated apartment building, we would have been arrested on day one."

"Probably," Martin admitted.

"Well at least you're honest," the turian spat out, looking out the car window.

The krogan chuckled again. "My name is Piok, of Clan Jorgal. What's your name, human?"

"Martin. Martin Shepard."

"Shepard?" Piok asked. "Hmm. I met a Shepard once. Well, not myself, but I saw him in action. You kind of look like him. Anyways, nice to meet you, Martin Shepard."

"You too. Too bad we had to get the crap kicked out of us when we met."

"Shepard, that's the Krogan way. It's not a good introduction if no one walks away bleeding!" Piok looked at the turian. "How about you?"

"It's none of your business," the turian responded.

"Come on, turian, we just bled together fighting the same people. You can't even offer a name?"

After a few moments, the turian answered, "Lucanus."

Piok grinned. "Nice to meet you too, Lucanus. Do you have a military father that taught you how to fight as well?"

"I'm a turian. We all have military fathers that teach us how to fight."

Martin laughed. "Isn't that the truth? A friend of my father's is a turian, and just his boy is only one or two years old now, yet he's already talking about getting him ready for the military."

Lucanus grinned. "That sounds right."


	14. Chapter 14

"I demand an apology!" Daro'Xen shouted, standing from her chair and pounding the table with a fist. Her eyes were narrowed in anger, short, angry breaths escaping her. "I have handled your accusations calmly, but this is too far!"

"Admiral," Raan began, using Xen's title as a way of trying to intimidate her. It did not work, of course. "We are simply looking into rumors we have heard. If they are unfounded, then we will not concern ourselves with anything else we find, and strict measures will be taken to squash the rumors once and for all." Raan snuck a glance over at Gerrel, but Han's focus was solely on Xen, as if he could read her mind if he stared long and hard enough.

"You have no right to treat me this way!" Xen yelled. "I am an admiral of the Quarian people, just like the rest of you! I demand respect, and an apology!"

"Daro, if you refuse our request, you leave us with little choice but to believe there is some truth to these rumors, and the rest of us will be forced to vote on whether to search the mines without your consent." This came from Koris, who spoke the words uncomfortably. He was the closest thing to a friend Xen had on the Admiralty Board, though that was more due to Koris's personality than any like of the woman.

"I know where Gerrel stands." Xen was fuming, turning her gaze to Tali. "And you?"

Tali had to force herself not to laugh or scream at the gall this woman was showing. "I stand with the rest of the admirals."

"Of course you do," Xen said dismissively. "You're a pathetic young girl who has no business holding the power you do."

Raan opened her mouth to defend her niece, but not before Tali stood to defend herself. "I am an Admiral, just like you, and I was willing to give you a chance. Your refusal to let anyone search those mines tells me what I already suspected, that you are insane and doing something terrible." Xen began to stomp her way towards Tali, and the youngest Admiral did not back down, facing Xen with fire in her eyes. Raan, Gerrel, and Koris all placed themselves between the two women.

Xen did not fight when Raan placed a hand on her shoulder. "When would you like to search the mines?"

"This afternoon would be the earliest we could prepare a search party," Gerrel said, his first words since the meeting commenced.

"That will be fine," Xen responded before storming out of the room.

Once she was gone, Tali began pacing, angry at herself for losing her temper. It was conduct unbecoming of someone in her position, and she knew that. She watched as Gerrel and Koris left as well, leaving Tali alone with her aunt. "I should reprimand you for losing your temper that way, but it was the final push we needed to force Xen to agree," Raan told her. "Good job, Tali."

The youngest admiral giggled. "Reprimand me? I have a certain human on my side, in case you've forgotten." Tali smiled. "I'm still sorry for acting that way. It sure would have felt good to hit her. Do you think there's any chance we find geth in these mines?"

Raan shook her head. "I'm sure Xen is heading directly to these mines to get rid of any evidence, so no. I am absolutely certain now that she is up to something. Maybe we will get lucky."

Tali shook her head as well. "I don't see why we don't just go over there right now, before she has a chance to hide whatever she doesn't want us to see."

"Because that's simply not the way the game of politics is played, Tali. You should know that by now."

As probably the most educated quarian alive when it came to geth and finding any signs of their presence, Tali insisted that she be part of the team searching the mines. They were built into a small mountain range, all within the same two-mile compound. Small buildings that once served as offices and areas for lunch break dotted the compound, all of them empty as Tali and her team of twelve walked by. Large ramps led to the mine entrances, much the same as the dozens of mines she had seen when accompanying Shepard while chasing Saren. The similar sight brought back fond memories of the days her initial interest in her bondmate began. No place for those thoughts, Tali thought, climbing the ramp to the entrance for the first mine.

The mine was mainly empty, the only thing occupying the vast space being empty crates stacked in odd spots throughout. Tali had her team search every inch of those crates, but there was nothing to suggest they had been in use any time recently. There were some mining tools, rusted from disuse. Otherwise the mine was empty. Mineral deposits shown brightly within the walls, suggesting that this mine had focused on the recovery of gems of some kind. Tali did not recognize whatever was forming, and wondered if they were some type of gems unique to Rannoch. Once every inch of the mine had been searched, absolutely nothing to be found, Tali led her team out and towards the next one.

The second mine was much the same as the first, the only difference being that whatever had once been mined was not as pretty to look at as the first mine. Just like the first one, the only things within were empty crates and rusted mining tools. Tali searched even harder, trying to find a loose circuit, a stray wire, a tool that had no place within a mine, anything out of place, but there was nothing. As her team entered the third mine, she again wished that they had immediately conducted their search the second Xen left their meeting. The third mine appeared much the same as the first two, nothing but empty crates and mining tools to be seen. Tali had to resist the urge to kick something. She settled for punching the wall, grimacing when it gave away, clumps of dirt and rock collapsing around her arm, up to her elbow. She pulled away, disgusted, stopping when she felt her suit snag on something. Gently, so as not to rip her suit, she reached in with her other arm, shocked when she realized that her suit was snagged on. "Over here!" she shouted. "In the walls! Search for hollow spots and smash them in!"

* * *

Martin flexed his hands, still sore from his fight a few days earlier. Working on delicate machinery all day didn't exactly help. Luckily for him, the police did not charge him with anything after hearing how he became involved in the fight. Unfortunately neither did any of the Terra Firma members, under the condition that they no longer come within a certain distance of the apartment building anymore. It was funny, because now those same people stood as close as they could and shouted the same things, which put them directly in Martin's way instead of just being a sight along the way to work. A few angry looks came from the bruised and swollen faces of those that had taken punishment that day, but mainly they ignored Martin as he walked past. Luckily, despite missing work that day and being arrested, his boss had also decided that Martin had done the right thing and not fired him. Martin had not been sure how his boss would react, and was glad to see that he was a decent man.

Martin was nearly home when a familiar voice called out his name. He turned towards it, to where Lucanus was walking his way. Since the fight with the Terra Firma members, and their subsequent conversation on the way to the police station, Martin, Piok, and Lucanus had hung out a couple of times, discovering that they got along pretty well. The first time, the three of them sat around Lucanus's apartment, commenting on the various bullshit happening around the galaxy and cracking jokes about their fight. The second time, the previous night, they had gone to a bar and had a few drinks. A few drinks for Martin had meant two light drinks. For Lucanus it had meant a couple of hard drinks. True to a krogan, Piok had spent all three hours at the bar gulping down the hardest krogan liquor the place served, yet never seemed to move beyond buzzed.

Martin stopped walking, giving a quick wave Lucanus's way. "I had something I wanted to talk to you about," Lucanus said, direct as always. While Martin had met a few turians in his life, he had never met one as serious and short of speech as Lucanus. If he had something to say, he came out and said it, and did not tolerate attempts to change the subject. It was a personality trait that the human could respect. "I have an uncle who's a representative for one of the biggest Turian weapons manufacturers, a company named Harome. His job basically consists of flying around the galaxy to try and get local governments to buy their weapons and defense systems from his company. About five workers on his ship quit a week and a half ago, and obviously he's looking to replace them. He asked if I would come work for him, and I mentioned Piok's and your name as well. Interested?"

The offer floored Martin. "What is the job?" he asked, not sure what else to say.

"For myself and Piok, security. For you, I told him about your abilities as an engineer, though I may have exaggerated a little more than I needed to. He agreed to give you a chance."

"Wow, um…" Martin stood there like an idiot, knowing that's how he looked but not sure what else to do. "I have only been working at my current job for just short of two weeks. I'd feel kind of bad if I quit already to take another job."

"Is it money? I can guarantee you will make a lot more credits working for my uncle than you are now."

"No, it's not that. Maybe I just feel a little too loyal."

Lucanus nodded understandingly. "My uncle won't be docking here at Lowell City for another week. In the meantime, think about the offer."

The two shook hands. "Absolutely, and I appreciate the offer. I'll let you know in a day or two." Lucanus nodded, walking away.

"Wait!" Martin called out. "Why did you offer me this job? Not that I don't appreciate it, but we've known each other for a week, not even actually. For all you know I've been lying about what I can or can't do."

"You don't strike me as a liar," Lucanus said. "I've dealt with my share of liars, and I know what they are like. If anything, you probably undersell yourself."

"Thanks, Lucanus," Martin said gratefully. "I'll let you know in a day or two. Maybe we can do something and the three of us can talk about it."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Shepard watched, stunned, as quarian workers carried out pieces of geth units ranging from small pieces of armor to entire limbs or a torso. There were no fully assembled units, but that mattered little. Unless Xen was going to try and convince someone that these mines somehow grew geth units naturally, she had been found out. That fact that no one could find or contact her suggested that any completed geth units she might have had were taken wherever she had disappeared to. An hour had passed now since Shepard arrived at the request of the Admiralty Board, and over that hour the stream of workers carrying out geth parts had not slowed. Shepard had not seen his bondmate yet, as Tali was still inside one of the mines. It was quite likely she was very pissed off right now.

Another half an hour passed before Tali emerged from the entrance of one of the mines, envirosuit covered in dirt. She walked down the ramp that led down from the entrance, the Admirals hurrying to meet her at the bottom. Shepard moved a little closer, but kept his distance. Tali used constant tense, angry hand gestures as she talked, erasing any doubt about her anger. After a few minutes, Raan placed a hand on her shoulder, and the angry young admiral calmed slightly. Shepard was waved over, and did not hesitate to join them. "The news is pretty bad, it seems," he said. "I saw a lot of geth parts being taken out, and I was only here for an hour."

"That insane bitch had the walls of these mines hollowed out like a honeycomb!" Tali hissed. "And every hollow pocket held a geth part of some type. These were just the parts, who knows how many fully assembled geth she has! She could have an entire army! If she reactivates these geth, we could face a second exile from Rannoch!"

"That will not happen," Gerrel said as calmly and convincingly as he could. "She could not possibly have that many units. At worst we may have to deal with an unfortunate fight."

"A war, you mean," Tali said.

Gerrel acknowledged her with a nod. "The quicker we find Xen, the quicker we can resolve this situation, and the better our chance of avoiding another war against the geth."

"Then we need to send out search parties immediately, and mobilize our soldiers," Koris said. "Gerrel, prepare your marines immediately. Every single one of them needs to report to the nearest base and be ready to act on orders immediately."

"And I'll prepare my scouts to begin the search for Xen," Raan said. "Perhaps she left some clue within her residence we'll start there."

All of the admirals walked away, all except Tali, whose gaze had averted to the ground. Once they were all gone, Shepard moved forward to comfort his bondmate. Despite their relationship being very public knowledge, when Tali was working in an official capacity the two of them maintained a professional demeanor. "We'll find her, and we'll stop her," Shepard said.

"Keelah, what if we don't?" Tali argued. "What if she has an army of geth out there, an army she won't be able to control if activated? We just got our homeworld back, and I can't handle the thought of losing it again."

"You won't," Shepard told her, with all the authority he could muster. "The other admirals are right, there is no way there are enough geth to do what they did before, if they are even capable of activating again. We will find Xen and arrest her, we'll destroy her geth, and you will get to live the rest of your life on your homeworld. I promise."

Shepard could tell Tali was smiling. "As long as that promise means you will be with me every step of the way, you handsome bosh'tet. We have work to do in the meantime, let's get to it."

* * *

The ship owned by Lucanus's uncle was far bigger and of much higher quality design than the Voyage. It was at least two and a half times larger, included all the latest technology not classified by the military, and contained comfortable beds for all of the admittedly small crew, about forty people. Having spent a decade with the quarian people, he knew from seeing their ships and hearing their stories that this ship could fit at least double that, and probably around ninety or hundred crew members. It made the ship feel empty. Along the side of the painted green hull, the name Leatum was prominently displayed in dark red. Martin asked what that meant, and Lucanus told him it was the name of the most powerful god in an ancient Turian culture.

Martin and Piok had both accepted the offer Lucanus made to them on behalf of his uncle, but now that they were on the ship the young human was more than a little nervous, and he could see that Piok felt the same. It was a strange sight, a nervous krogan. He paced back and forth, his steps short and angry, his teeth grinding together. Martin tried to keep his distance, not knowing how Piok might react to anything at the moment. The three of them stood near airlock, waiting as Lucanus's uncles finished preparations for takeoff. From a distance, Lucanus's uncle appeared much the same as any turian. He was dressed in a high quality green suit that matched the color of the hull. A hard face and sharp, commanding voice barked out orders to the rest of the crew. Not even a glance came the way of the three nervous young men standing nearby. Only when the ship finally left its dock did the captain turn their way, walking over with confident, authoritative strides. "Lucanus," he greeted, his voice no softer than when he ordered around his crew.

"Uncle."

"Martin and Piok, I presume?" he asked, both the human and krogan nodding as an answer. "Captain Caus Vulkar," he said, shaking both of their hands. "Rules on my vessel are simple. Follow my orders, do your job well, and respect your fellow crew. My nephew told me you are capable, and for your sake and his I hope he was right. Follow me, I'll give you a tour of the vessel, and show you where you your quarters."

The beds that Captain Vulkar assigned them were in a room with four others, comfortable single sized beds with clean sheets and new pillows. Martin was surprised, he assumed as new crew members he and Piok would be placed in one of the two cramped, small rooms he saw during his unofficial tour earlier. After they put down their belongings, Vulkar told Piok to go with Lucanus and meet someone named Tiros, while he personally brought Martin to engineering, two decks below the crew quarters.

Almost everyone on the crew was turian, the only exception being one of the other five guards besides Lucanus and Piok, who was a krogan. For all his talk about knowing turians in the back of that police car, Martin did not know what to expect when the captain left and he was alone with the four other engineers still on duty. After an hour, he found he was quite comfortable around them. They were focused on their duty and made little small talk, but all of them were friendly as the head engineer, Remus, introduced Martin and explained what their responsibilities were. As with the Voyage, Martin's initial responsibilities involved helping others and working on less important systems.

The tasks were quite easy, easier than what he had been responsible for on the Voyage, and not even comparable to what Tali had taught him before he left on Pilgrimage. In the inevitable boredom, Martin found himself reflecting on how quickly his Pilgrimage had changed. His boss on Mars had told him that he was sorry to lose such a good worker, and that if the job on the Leatum did not work out he would have a position available if ever Martin wanted to come back. Compared to Harold, Captain Vulkar was a hard ass, that much was certain. Still, this was what every quarian on Pilgrimage hoped for, a chance to travel the galaxy on a ship, experiencing the many different cultures that existed beyond their home life. Here he was, a human, doing what other quarians dreamed about. He couldn't help but feel guilt, especially remembering Yala, stuck working a farm on Eden Prime. Yala, he would definitely need to tell her what happened. Sure, he'd probably hear all kinds of halfhearted insults out of jealousy, but she would be happy to hear about his new job. Maybe, if he kept this job long enough and did a good job, he could convince the captain to give Yala a job as well.

When his first shift was over, he headed back to his quarters, where Lucanus was stretched out on his bed, listening while Piok told some story about fighting the Reapers on Tuchanka. The two acknowledged their friend before Piok continued. "I'm watching from an upper floor while Urdnot Wrex head butts Urdnot Wreav, the two of them seemingly moments from pulling guns on each other. Then Bakara shouts both down. I knew right then that we would win the battle, with Bakara and Commander Shepard inspiring us, and every krogan watching roaring their approval. We were unstoppable."

"Yeah, sure," Lucanus said, sitting up. "Since we're on the subject of Commander Shepard, I have a question for you Martin." The young human tensed. He knew the question that was to come, and kind of wished it was not going to ask. "Are you related to him? You look a lot like him, and I figure that plus the last name can't be a coincidence."

Martin didn't look their way. "He's my dad," he said sheepishly.

Piok roared his laughter. "I knew it! I could tell the moment I saw him in action with that Terra Firma crowd! You owe me two hundred credits, Lucanus."

The turian sneered and nodded. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because you never asked? Besides, I kind of want as few people as possible to know."

"Your dad is the biggest hero that ever lived," Lucanus said. "Why wouldn't you be proud of being his son?"

"I am very proud to be his son," Martin responded loudly. "People treat me different when they know, and I hate it. They never stop asking me about him, they act like I'm too good for them, they are suddenly intimidated when they never were before, it sucks. See, like the way you two are looking at me now, you just see Commander John Shepard's son, and from this day forward you'll treat me differently."

"We were pretty sure you were his son or at least related to him all along, though."

"Yet you apparently bet against Piok."

Lucanus shrugged. "He was offering to pay me 400 credits if he was wrong, and I only have to pay 200. It was worth the bet."

"Relax, Shepard," Piok said. "We have bigger things to worry about than being intimidated by you. Like drills tomorrow."

"That bad, huh?" Martin said with a chuckle.

Piok groaned. "Damn turians are harder taskmasters than any battlemaster I've ever served under."

"You'll get used to it," Lucanus said. "If not, we'll get what we can out of you and throw you off the ship when we can."

* * *

**Borderlands 2 is making it hard to focus on this lately, LOL. I figured I could do more with it if I got Martin off the planet, but that doesn't mean Terra Firma won't still be involved. I'm not going to make them Cerberus part two, more just a growing public menace making life difficult for aliens. Review, comment, criticize, whatever you want, I appreciate all feedback.**


	15. Chapter 15

Martin stared, slack-jawed, at the buildings around him, surprised that a people he knew so well would have a homeworld that looked so alien. This was his first time on Palaven, which was surprising considering how good a friend Garrus was to his father. The buildings were all built with military precision, little to no creativity or imagination involved. They were of the dimensions and design necessary for their function, and that was all. Every building was a silverish color, as were the few cars he saw. Everyone that walked down the street did with serious expressions, one foot in front of the other with the same precision as everything else Martin saw. It was all unlike anything the young human had ever seen. Two turians brushed against him when he stopped on the sidewalk, glaring at him as they passed. Lucanus had somehow ended up far ahead of him, and chuckled lowly when he turned around. "You can't just stop in place and not expect to have someone run into you," he said.

"Yeah, obviously," Martin said, trying his best to keep up with the long strides of his taller turian friend. The suit he was wearing to protect himself from the higher radiation levels on Palaven made his steps loud and was beginning to grow uncomfortable after an hour walking around. With an ironic grin, he realized he was finally just like any other quarian, needing to wear something ridiculously uncomfortable to protect himself. Yala would have laughed until she was breathless to see him now. He'd have to make sure to tell her about this when he next sent her a message.

The Leatum was docked until the next morning at the spaceport at Turian capital of Cipritine, while product and supplies were delivered from a factory and loaded on the massive ship. Until then, all personnel not needed for the task of moving those products and supplies were free to spend that time how they deemed fit, as long as their activities did not embarrass the Harome corporation or fall outside the law. Martin had decided to take the opportunity to call Garrus and asked if he could visit, and his father's friend had given his address, telling him come visit whenever he could. Piok was part of the crew loading the supplies, but Lucanus had the day off and had eagerly asked if he could go meet Garrus as well. Martin couldn't deny, especially since he had never seen Lucanus so excited about anything. "So, do you know General Vakarian well?" Lucanus asked, voice giving away his nervousness.

Martin was astounded by the change in his normally calm, serious friend. "Pretty well. I see him at least once a year, when a lot of my dad's friends get together. He's really funny."

Lucanus looked at him as if he had sprouted a limb from his neck or something. "Funny? Really?"

"Yeah. Why would that surprise you?"

"I guess because I've only ever seen him during press conferences or official announcements from the Hierarchy," Lucanus said. "He's the same as any other deadly serious, intimidating Turian leader. It's just weird to think of him having a sense of humor, it's like thinking of my superior officer in the military having a sense of humor."

Martin laughed. "You'll see when we get there."

Compared to the other species in the galaxy, Garrus's mansion was tame and actually rather small. Compared to every other building on the planet, it stuck out like a pink streak in a black and white landscape. Two guards at the front gate admitted Martin and Lucanus, and both noticed at least six more patrolling the grounds. All were armed with assault rifles of a make and model Martin could not identify. A sniper aimed out a window in what was likely the attic. Lucanus was shaking with every step, but Martin stayed composed. They had not completed the walk to the front door when it opened, and a familiar turian stepped outside, grinning in their direction.

The inside of the house was white and colorless, much the same as the rest of the city. Garrus led them to the living room, where a moderately sized television was mounted on the wall. The furniture was a grayish silver, a large four cushion couch and three reclining chairs. The one personal touch in the room was a bar in the corner, exquisitely carved from some type of metallic looking wood. It figured that plant life on the planet would evolve some type of protection, just like the turians themselves had. It gave the bar a really cool sheen where the light reflected off the wood. Garrus told Martin and Lucanus to take a seat on the couch, and went to the bar. He came back with three drinks. "Um, I don't think I should drink that," Martin said.

"You're old enough to go out on your own, you're old enough to drink," Garrus said, smirking. "Don't worry, it's completely safe and I won't say a word to Shepard or Tali. Come on, have a drink." Martin took it, sipping gingerly. The taste was alright. He hadn't been sure what to expect. "So, Lucanus, right?" Garrus asked the younger turian to Martin's left. "Calm down, son, I'm really not that much of a hard ass. I just have to look like one to the public."

"I'm sorry, sir, it's just…" Martin was quite amused at seeing Lucanus so intimidated. He may have only been a few years older than Martin, but Lucanus was definitely too old to act like a star struck teenager. "You're Garrus Vakarian! The hero who fought alongside Commander Shepard!"

Garrus grinned, the cocky grin he always had when he was about to brag. "Fought alongside? I always thought the story was that Shepard was the sidekick, not me?"

Lucanus looked away shyly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"Oh come on, son, lighten up, it was a joke," Garrus said, exasperated. He looked at Martin and asked, "Is he always so serious?"

"Yes, but normally he's not so intimidated," Martin said, still holding back a laugh.

Garrus nodded. "I'm used to it. Seriously, Lucanus, relax. I may be a general, but I'm the type of general who is only a general because the position was pushed on me and I'm a Turian, which means I don't know how to say no. I'm sure you can relate to that."

"Yes sir," the younger turian responded, seeming to calm down. "I hate to admit it, but Martin was right. You're kind of funny."

"Only kind of funny?" Garrus said, mockingly offended. "Well, there goes my second career when I retire from the military. Here I thought I'd be the second coming of Tertus Bellock."

"Who?" Martin and Lucanus asked these days.

"Kids these days," Garrus said with a shake of his head. "I'll have to send you some tapes. Funny guy, not an ideal Turian but damn if he couldn't tell a joke."

Martin and Lucanus stuck around until dinner, their host sending a couple of house servants out to shop for food Martin could eat. While they waited, Garrus shared some stories meant to impress and entertain about his journeys alongside Shepard, including a few embarrassing stories about Tali that Martin was sure his stepmother would be angry about anyone finding out about. Dinner wasn't anything special, just some spaghetti and meatballs, which was still better than anything Martin had eaten since he left on Pilgrimage. Garrus and Lucanus ate steak and some side dish that appeared similar to mashed potatoes, which made the young human kind of jealous. A steak would be pretty amazing.

After dinner, Garrus brought the two younger men downstairs towards his basement, where he had a massive gun range built. While Lucanus fired a sniper rifle, his concentration unlike anything Martin had ever seen from the turian, Garrus stood near the human. "So how are you doing, pal?" he asked. "You know, your parents are enjoying having the house to themselves…"

"Gross, I don't even want to hear the end of that sentence," Martin muttered.

Garrus laughed. "I wasn't going there, but you're right about that as well. What I was going to say is that they aren't fooling me. They miss you, and don't seem to believe any of your messages saying you are okay."

"I'm doing fine," Martin assured him. "I feel kind of guilty that Yala's on Eden Prime, working on a farm and barely making money while I'm on a ship, but I'm doing great. I made some friends, I'm treated well, it's everything I could have hoped for. If I stick around with this company and do an exceptional job, they may even let me take something back as my Pilgrimage gift."

"Harome is a good company," Garrus said. "They've always been reliable suppliers of the Turian army. I'll make sure to put in a good word for you."

"Thanks Garrus," Martin said, smiling. The older turian nodded, rubbing Martin's hand with his hand, messing up his hair. Lucanus finished shooting, backing off and nodding his head. Martin and Garrus walked his way to see how his aim had been.

* * *

A week of searching had provided no solid clues as to Xen's whereabouts, and with every passing hour Tali grew more fearful of what may come. The first thing that had been done was to send marines to the homes of the civilians and researchers Xen represented. The civilians were still there, but all fifty researchers were gone, their departure quite sudden judging by the clothing and personal items strewn around their homes. Besides whatever geth she had, Xen also had fifty of the most brilliant quarian minds in existence on her side. It was enough to send the Admiralty Board into a panic, and only the most convincing speech Raan and Shepard could combine to manage kept everyone else from taking actions that would send the population into a panic.

Tali was more than a little angry about that. Xen and her geth could potentially attack at any moment, and her people needed to be ready. Hiding the truth, which Shepard and Raan had convinced them to do, would only lead to disaster. Besides, Shepard was not an Admiral and it was not his place to convince the other admirals of anything. She tried the silent treatment towards her bondmate, only to find she could not keep her mouth shut and always ended up trying to convince him of her way of thinking. That never worked, of course, which had Tali go right back to ignoring Shepard. His understanding nature about the situation, the way he refused to shout back, always made her angry as well. He was such a lovable bosh'tet.

The two of them were coexisting peacefully at the moment, as they sat in their shared office room at home. On the desk, a computer displayed a map of Rannoch. A variety of cross marks were placed where thorough searches had already been performed. Those marks covered more than half of the southern continent, where the quarian population was situated. Unfortunately, that still left more than seventy percent of the land area on the planet, much of which hid ruins that would be easy for such a small number of people to hide in. "What about right here?" Shepard asked, pointing to a spot about two hundred miles from the nearest populated city. It was situated along the southern coast, one of the driest areas on Rannoch. "Says right here a pre-exile military base is there. That would be easy to hide within, and easily defensible if they were found. It's as good a place as any to search."

Tali thought about it. "I can't picture Xen hiding in an area like that. Besides, there's no power. She is too insane to give up her work on restoring the geth, and she needs power to do that."

"We've searched everywhere where power is restored," Shepard argued. "That's not a large area. She has to be outside that net."

Tali shook her head stubbornly, glaring at Shepard. She knew he hated her glare, he said he felt like tiny needles were stabbing his brain when she directed it his way. The former Spectre immediately looked away, and Tali smirked in triumph. "I'm absolutely certain we will find her within the powered area. We don't know how long Xen has been doing this, she could have prepared hidden bunkers or something to hide in while she continued her work. I'm telling you, she is nearby."

Shepard placed an arm around her shoulders. Tali resisted the urge to push it away. He was still the man she loved, after all, even if they were not their most agreeable. "Okay. You're right, there are plenty of places we can still search where Xen would still be able to activate the geth. We haven't been looking for anything hidden. You should make sure the marines start tomorrow."

An urgent beeping from the computer console in the couple's room was Tali's wakeup call two days later, and she wearily dragged herself out of bed to read the message that was the source. Her immediate presence was required at Han'Gerrel's residence, along with the other admirals. There was no mention at all of the purpose of the meeting. Tali looked over to where Shepard still slept, and decided not to bother waking him. If his presence was needed, she could contact him later. She made sure to leave him a message telling him where she had gone.

One of Han'Gerrel's servants opened the door when Tali arrived, two hours later. The poor quarian was clearly tired, even though she could not see his face. Tali was led to the basement of the large home, the stairs leading down located past three archways and next to the kitchen. In one room of the large basement, various projects of some kind lay strewn about on worktables. Tali glanced, not really caring what they were. Home projects of some kind, she had more than a few of her own. A large set of double doors led to another section of the basement, and the servant knocked on them. Gerrel opened the door a few moments later, and Tali was caught off guard to see the admiral without a visor covering his face. She had never seen his face, yet somehow he looked exactly like she had pictured. A scar ran from the corner of his mouth to his nose. Faint wrinkles were beginning to form in his skin. His eyes were weathered, experienced, not glowing quite so brightly as Tali knew her own did. The admiral thanked his servant and dismissed him. "Thank you for coming, Tali'Shepard, please come in."

"Of course, Han," Tali said, following him. "Are the others here already?"

"Only Zaal. Shala should be arriving soon." Gerrel closed the double doors. "About four hours ago, five of my marines arrived at my home, insisting I see them. Apparently they spotted two geth atop a large hill, and despite their best efforts to remain unseen, there was a firefight. Three marines were killed."

"Keelah," Tali gasped. It was everything she feared. "I'm sorry, Han." The admiral was very close to his soldiers. He would take the losses hard.

At the moment he was refusing to show that emotion, other than a brief sorrowful expression. "Thank you, Tali. It was worth it however. They were able to kill the geth and bring them here." Tali jumped in surprise. That had not been expected. "I know, I was shocked as well. They are remarkably intact, with only slight disfigurations where they took gunfire. They should be more than adequate specimens to study and figure out what differences there may be between these geth and the geth we knew."

Gerrel led the way through another doorway, into a small room dominated by a table. Koris stood near that table, hand at the mouth of his visor, seemingly oblivious to the presence of his fellow admirals as he stared downwards. Tali followed his gaze, and immediately felt her blood begin pumping. The two geth lay side by side, motionless. At first glance, there was nothing the least big wrong with them. It was only upon closer inspection that Tali noticed the holes where the gunfire had punctured the geth units. "Keelah, Han, what if they had reactivated!? What if they still do!?"

"Not going to happen," Koris chimed in, voice distant. "I made sure to check. These units are fried, no chance they come back."

Tali nodded, deciding she would check for herself later. "We have to tell the public. We cannot keep this secret anymore. It was different when we were not sure whether she had active geth. Now that we know, we have to make sure no one leaves the cities, we have to set up defensive perimeters. We cannot risk normal civilians being killed by geth out in the wilderness."

"Agreed," Gerrel said. "I've already made the initial arrangements, and once Raan arrives we can all finalize them together. Right now though, you and Koris need to analyze these two units. Find out anything you can about any alterations that may have been made."

Tali nodded, not caring that Gerrel was basically giving her orders. "We'll get on it right away."

* * *

Martin was glad he decided to go shopping for himself before they left Palaven. Captain Vulkar kept the Leatum well stocked with food at all times, it was a civilian ship after all, but with almost the entire crew being turian, levo food was a clear and understandable secondary priority. Even the levo food there was tended to be Krogan meals that Martin had tried and hardly been able to stomach, and that was just the few meals he could eat. Krogans had much tougher stomachs than humans did. Since Martin was one of only three humans on the ship, along with an assistant to the head doctor and one of the crewmembers working on the bridge, procuring good human meals was not much of an issue. Martin hadn't minded the average to poor food at first, but having a good meal at Garrus's house had made him realize he needed some good freaking food every once in a while.

He was eating a hamburger that he had cooked up himself, despite protests from the Leatum's cook, sitting next to Piok. Further down the large mess table, the other two human crewmembers were eating hamburgers of their own. Needless to say, Martin spending almost his entire first payday on human food had made him very popular with them. "This guy, real soft for a turian, I could tell the moment I saw him," Piok was saying, as usual the conversation with him turning into a probably exaggerated story. "He walks up to me, trying act tough, telling me that I was not allowed to load some crates yet. I told him that two other dockworkers had already checked them and given the okay, but he insisted he still needed to do it. I only needed to step forward, give him a growl, and the scrawny necked geek went running."

"I'm sure the three other Krogan standing behind you had nothing to do with it," said an even deeper voice than Piok had, belonging to Rokeen, another krogan. Rokeen was at least twice Piok's age, and had seen a hell of a lot more. His battle stories were much more interesting than Piok's. At one point about four hundred years earlier, he claims he served in a mercenary group with Urdnot Wrex, which had led to some interesting back and forth about the Wrex the old krogan knew, and the Wrex Martin knew. It wasn't until the third story Martin told that Rokeen actually believed the young human.

"I didn't see any of you threatening the man," Piok said.

"I'll let you two settle this argument, I'm heading to my bed," Martin said, getting up and bringing his plate to the sink behind the counter. The hamburger was already sitting in his stomach like a brick of lead. He walked to his room, which was on the same floor as the mess hall, and collapsed onto the bed. As expected, there was a message from Yala waiting for him on his omnitool, which Martin opened and began reading.

_Hello cutie,_

_I'm really starting to like it here. The Wards are extremely nice people. Terra Firma found out they had a "filthy quarian" working on their farm and sent a couple of representatives to convince them I should leave. Mr. Ward ended up shouting at them until they left, threatening to "shove his foot so far up their asses, their noses would bleed. I'm sure that's just a saying, but it still frightened me a little. No one actually does that, do they? Is it even possible?_

_And no, I'm not that jealous of you anymore. My mother and father both ended up working on a planet for a while, as did some of their friends. Some of our friends as well. Jona is repairing ships on Dor, which would drive me crazy. Imagine working on ships all day and never being able to fly on one. Ugh. _

_Keelah, I miss you. It's only been a few weeks and I already feel so lonely, like it's been months since we've talked to each other face to face. Well, visor to face anyway. I miss just sitting next to you, resting my head on your shoulder, and enjoying the silence. I sound like such a hormonal bosh'tet. I hope you get to stop on Eden Prime at some point, even if it's only long enough to see you for five minutes. That would be enough._

_I love you, Martin. Stay safe, and don't brag about any awesome adventures you might have. I'm still jealous enough that I don't want to hear that._

Martin smiled at the message, and was about to write one of his own when Piok came inside with that stupid grin he always had when he knew Martin was reading something from his girlfriend. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting your love note?" he asked.

"Ha ha, asshole. Just because you have never been laid…"

Piok roared. "Boy, I have had more sex than you could imagine. One time I…"

"Oh please, no krogan sex stories!" Martin shouted. "You didn't come here just to make fun of me, you would have waited until next time you saw me to unleash whatever jokes you had. What's up?"

"How long until your next shift?"

Martin checked the time on his omnitool. "About seven hours, actually. Why?"

Piok grinned. "I have a card game to teach you. What do you think, interested?"

"How many credits are required?" Martin asked. He had learned quickly around Piok that krogan card games were never played without money on the line.

"None this time. You don't know how to play, and while normally that wouldn't stop me, you are my friend."

"You're flat broke, aren't you?"

Piok roared his laughter again. "Bastards cleaned me out a couple of days ago. I'm dying to play, but without credits they won't let me in the game."

Martin grinned. He knew his friend too well. "Alright, why not? I can stay awake for another hour or two before I need to get some sleep."

* * *

**I was hoping to get a little more feedback than I have been lately for this chapter. I appreciate everyone reading, but not many people are commenting. If that means you are satisfied and don't have anything to say, great and thank you! If you have something you do want to say that might be negative, great and thank you! I'd just like to hear from some people, see what you think about the story so far.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Wow, this is my longest chapter by a few hundred words. Thank you so much for all the kind words, it's always a good thing to see so many people enjoying this story. I'm always happy to read those comments as well, but now that I know people are still reading I won't beg for them anymore, if you feel like leaving one, then thank you. This chapter is all Martin and Yala, so next chapter will focus more on Tali and Shepard, though it won't be exclusively about them. Sorry to leave you all hanging after the way the Rannoch story ended last time. *laughing at the suspense***

* * *

Yala was more thankful at the moment than ever for for her suit, as she saw the Wards sweating profusely while they worked with the farm's machinery with her. It was a typically hot day on Eden Prime, but she wasn't feeling any of it due to her suit's climate control. It allowed her to work far longer than her hosts could, and that was a major reason the Wards liked her, she was sure. It's easier to spend money on another mouth to feed, especially a difficult quarian mouth to feed, when that person was capable of making you more money to spend. Mr. Ward called out to Yala, and told her to go take a break, she had been working for too long. A check of her omnitool showed that it was two hours past lunch, and she had been working nonstop for six hours now. She wasn't feeling particularly weary or hungry, and could have kept working, but Mr. Ward had been working on farms his entire life and Yala was inclined to listen to him. With a grateful nod, she told him she would be back in no more than an hour and walked towards the large house that served as the Wards' home.

Inside, gossiping as always, were Mr. Ward's daughters, Hailey and Neema. Both took after their mother, with beautiful, sharp-featured faces and long, luscious hair as dark as a raven's feathers. Yala always felt a little insecure around the two girls, a little intimidated by their beauty. Those feelings were hard to keep hold of when you actually talked to them, however. Hailey was nineteen, Neema was seventeen, and their personalities were as irresistible as their looks. Much like their parents, they were extremely likable, and did not care in the slightest about Yala being a quarian. They included her in everything Yala was willing to be included in, and treated her like she was just another member of their family. When they noticed her walking their way, the girl's stopped their conversation and smiled her way. "My dad works you way too hard," Hailey said. "You haven't taken a break all day."

"You totally missed out on something when we went out for lunch," Neema said excitedly. Yala loved that name, Neema. Admiral Han'Gerrel had been the captain of a quarian ship named the Neema, and seeing a human girl with the name of a quarian ship had been strange yet fascinating. The Neema had been retired about five years ago, finally breaking down after more than two centuries of use. "These three cute guys sat down at our table and were chatting us up, it was so awesome."

"I would have just gotten in the way if guys were hitting on you," Yala said. Besides the fact that she had a boyfriend already.

As usual when the quarian girl put herself down, Hailey and Neema jumped in. "I bet they would have spent the entire time talking to you," Hailey said. "They all would have tried to find out what's under your helmet."

"And how can blame them?" Neema asked rhetorically. "You're prettier than either of us, and it's a shame no one else can see that. Although it's lucky for us two, you would get all the attention if guys could see your face." Yala blushed, remembering when these two had nagged her about getting to see her face to the point that she finally just gave in, and their stunned expressions when they did. At first she had thought they were disgusted with her or something, but then they had exploded with compliments towards her. It was quite embarrassing then, and even now she felt uncomfortable every time they complimented her looks. Maybe she was pretty, but the only other quarians she had seen without a visor were her parents and Tali'Shepard. Yala highly doubted she was as beautiful as Tali'Shepard.

Yala was sucking down a tube of nutrient paste, jealous that she could not eat the delicious smelling food the Wards ate every day, when a sudden downpour of rain began pounding the roof. It came as a complete surprise, the sky had been nearly clear when she came inside, and that was only thirty minutes earlier. Even after weeks now living on Eden Prime, the suddenness with which rain and storms could form shocked her. Especially coming from a planet as dry as Rannoch. Mr. and Mrs. Ward came running inside, drenched. "Damn it, I was hoping we could get more done before those clouds emptied themselves on top of us," Mr. Ward said.

"Give it thirty minutes, the sun will be back out," Mrs. Ward said. She was a very pretty woman as well, obviously in order for the daughters to be as attractive as they were. Those looks definitely did not come from Mr. Ward, a hard-featured, plain man.

The rain did not stop in thirty minutes, or an hour, or even two hours. By the time the sun peeked back out, the sun was low in the sky, and the work day was over. Hailey and Neema had decided to go out to see some band performing a free concert in a local park, and as usual had dragged Yala along. Though she couldn't pretend it wasn't exciting, Yala thought as they neared the park, having walked because of the close proximity. The music was okay, of an old Earth style that Martin listened to sometimes and she had grown accustomed to. The band consisted of a human lead singer also playing guitar, two others playing guitar, and an asari drummer, which struck her as strange. The asari was easily the most talented member of the band, carrying the rest of them to the land of the tuneful and keeping them there.

Yala stuck close to Hailey and Neema, politely participating in any conversations with the others watching the concert, and as always having to answer the typical questions as to why a quarian was on Eden Prime. Despite her ever constant reluctance to go out in public, she had to admit she was having fun. After around an hour, the band took a break, and shouts and chants became audible somewhere nearby. Yala looked around, trying to locate those responsible. "Where the hell is that coming from?" Neema said loudly, having to raise her voice to be heard over the crowd gathered in the park and those shouting. Everyone was looking around, and Hailey went off, saying she couldn't see anything. She had not walked far when the distinct sound of a gunshot went off, and everyone panicked.

The first instinct the young quarian woman had was to grab the Wards and get them away. She firmly gripped Neema's wrist, pulling her away from the crowd, but Hailey was no where to be found. Two more shots rang out, followed by another from what was definitely a different gun. Yala dragged Neema along, desperately scanning the dispersing crowd for Hailey, finally spotting her after about fifteen seconds. Neema had begun crying, screaming to get her older sister's attention. Yala wasn't going to rely on her voice, and pulled Neema along until she was within distance to grab Hailey as well. With both of her hosts in hand, she began running, pulling the sisters with her.

* * *

The incident was one of the most widely reported for three days now, never fading away because of the constant developments taking place. Martin had not waited for any of them before making his decision. Captain Vulkar had given his consent for Martin to take a two day vacation to go to Eden Prime with surprising ease. The young human had expected to make some promises and do a sell job in order to get permission, but Vulkar was apparently not very strict with vacation days, and the Leatum would not be leaving its current port for another four days. They were yours to use when you wanted, for whatever reason, but when they were gone only the most extreme of circumstances would allow another. Taking vacations at a time when you were needed was frowned upon, and if abused in order to avoid the hardest work led to penalties.

Martin had sent frantic, rushed messages full of grammar errors to Yala as soon as he heard, needing to know as quickly as possible if his girlfriend was okay. There were no reports of a quarian being injured, but all that might have meant was that an injured or dead quarian was not worth reporting. Thankfully, Yala was okay, never saw the shooters, never had any shots come near her at all. She had heard the shots and ran. Despite her reassurance, he still wanted to go and see her. It had been too long, and they would have stories to tell. He certainly did. Yala had been ecstatic when Martin sent the message telling her he was on his way, promising to be at the spaceport to meet him when his ship arrived, and he had sent her the necessary information, a giddy smile on his face. Piok, of course, had been nearby and poked fun at him.

An update was coming over a newsfeed being broadcast on the transport ship taking Martin to Eden Prime, with the latest details of the incident. They were the same as reported earlier that morning. During a Terra Firma protest outside a branch of some asari company, two security guards had panicked and opened fire on someone that got too close. The rest of the protestors stormed them, some with guns of their own. Five were dead, six more critically wounded, with fifteen others in the hospital with injuries not considered life threatening. It was a disaster, and because the security had opened fire first, Terra Firma were the good guys. Martin still held a grudge because of what he saw from the group on Mars, and he was almost certain the extremists had hoped something like this would happen. They had offered an apology for their role in the incident, but it was the asari company that was facing the criticism because their security had opened fire. Martin had no doubt that Terra Firma had gotten exactly what they were hoping for, the sons of bitches.

The first steps out of the airlock were hard, his legs still weary after hours spent sitting down. He had not even removed himself from the crowd when he heard a loud squeal, a body slamming into his moments later, nearly knocking him off his feet. "Keelah, it's really you!" Yala shouted, squeezing him tightly. What was she doing, sitting a foot away from the airlock? "I'm so happy to see you! I want to hear everything, well, maybe not the most exciting parts, I'm still kind of jealous." She moved away slightly, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around him. "We should leave, I can't wait for you to meet the Wards. They don't live more than thirty minutes from here, forty if traffic is bad. We can talk on the way." Without any chance to say anything, Martin found himself being dragged away.

The cab ride lasted thirty minutes, as Yala had said, and in that time she had talked almost nonstop. By the time they stepped out of the back of the cab, Martin handing his credit chit to the driver and getting it back a few moments later, he felt like the Wards were old friends, people he had known for years. They were basically all she had talked about, even more than her job on the farm they owned. Yala again grabbed Martin's hand, pulling him towards the front door. Once inside the small room on the other side of the front door, she announced that she was back, and footsteps came from the room ahead. A light sweat began forming on his brow, and it was not because of the heat. The first person he saw was an older woman, with light brown hair ending above her shoulders, youthful attractiveness still in her face. She smiled at him, shaking his hand tentatively. The next person he saw was a younger version of the woman, with the same hair, only longer, a few more sharp features than her mother. She couldn't have been older than eighteen, if that. That youthful energy was obvious in the way she moved forward and hugged Martin, talking his ear off about how much they all loved Yala. The last person to enter the room was clearly Mr. Ward, a hard, plain man, a lifetime of hard work evident in his eyes and the spots of dirt on his arms and hands. Introductions were made, one daughter, Hailey, not home at the moment, and the crowd moved into the living room.

Martin was absolutely exhausted after dinner. He did not realize until about halfway through the meal, a delicious eggplant parmesan, how much he had missed his girlfriend. Yala had reached over and grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly. He looked over at her, and saw she was staring, likely smiling. The moment was over almost as soon as it had began, but that brief contact made him realize he had really freaking missed her. After dinner, Martin had excused himself, asking where he could sleep for the night, and with a lack of space they had given him a sleeping roll to place on the ground in the room Yala was using. The sly grins from the Ward daughters were not missed, and made Martin uncomfortable. Those two, Hailey and Neema, were whirlwinds of activity, never shutting up, always with a story, talking so fast. When Martin told everyone he would be able to stay all day tomorrow, the girls had immediately shouted every idea that came to their minds of things they could do. Martin had noncommittally agreed that they could all go out and do something, just wanting to go lay down and rest. Since he was going to have a big day tomorrow, he would need the rest.

The room was a decent sized on, almost as big as his room in his parents' house back on Rannoch. The bed was a single sized, and took up very little of the room. Mostly it was empty otherwise, a dresser that Yala would not need to use against the wall, a stand with a television on it placed so she could watch while laying in bed, a desk against another wall with various electronics on it. Yala really had a good thing going here, better than Martin had expected to find despite her glowing words in her messages to him. He rolled out his sleeping roll, placed the pillow he had been given on the ground where his head would rest, and wearily plopped to the carpet, setting inside the roll. At some point he ended up falling asleep, and was woken up when he felt an arm around his waist, an uncomfortable helmet against his shoulder. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and to figure out Yala was sleeping on the ground with him rather than on her bed. He looked down, ready to wake her up, but she spoke first, saying, "I'd rather sleep down here than up there."

"Can I have the bed since you like the ground so much?" he joked.

Yala giggled. "Only we can both find a way to get comfortable on such a small mattress," she joked back.

Martin decided to call her bluff. "Alright, let's move then," he said, disentangling himself from her grasp. He took his pillow and placed it on the bed, and lay back down on the soft mattress while Yala still watched from the ground, dumbfounded. "So I get the bed to myself?" he asked.

"You bosh'tet," she said, with no real disdain. She crawled into bed, and ended up in much the same position they had been on the floor. Martin was squeezed up against the wall, but not in an uncomfortable way. Yala placed her helmet on his shoulder, gentler than before, and placed her arm over his waist, while one of his arms went around her shoulders. Once they were comfortable, she giggled softly. "I'm so glad you're here. I was kind of angry that you wanted to come here to check on me like I'm some little girl, but I'm so happy you're here now that it doesn't matter."

"Me too," Martin said, kissing the top of her head. "I was going to try and have a serious conversation with you about what happened, but I can see now that there's nothing to worry about. Hell, we went through much worse when the Reapers were hitting Rannoch, sitting in that damned bunker not knowing what was going to happen."

"Keelah, don't remind me," Yala groaned. "I still have nightmares about sitting there with my mother, knowing dad was out there fighting those things. I cried so much, and when mom tried to calm me down she just started crying too. When the red shockwave flew past, I screamed louder than I ever have in my life. The first thing I remember after that was Tali'Shepard screaming that it was over, Shepard had done it, Shepard had done it, over and over. Compared to that, a few gunshots and a scared crowd was nothing."

"I still needed to see that for myself though," Martin insisted. "Besides, it had been too long." They sat there quietly, Martin not closing his eyes, staring at the ceiling. Eventually weariness set in again, about the same time he could feel Yala's breathing relax, letting him know she was asleep. He closed his eyes, and within minutes had joined her.

* * *

Yala blinked a few times, a stream of light coming through the window in the room and settling directly on her face, well, her visor. She was in bed, but her head was not resting on a pillow. Startled, she lifted her head quickly, but when she saw Martin, she relaxed and plopped her head back onto his shoulder. As much as she had said it last night, she was still thinking it right then. She was very glad her boyfriend was here. A sudden impulse struck her, and she removed her visor, planting a full, passionate kiss on Martin's lips. About two seconds passed before his lips parted and he began to respond to the kiss, his eyes opening and closing tightly as he woke. "Good morning," Yala said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Good morning," Martin responded. "I'm always happy to see that face. Maybe it's just because I haven't seen it in a while, but I swear you are prettier than ever."

Yala blushed, and kissed Martin again. The sound of the door to the room opening was on the edge of her hearing, but the whistle that came from the person in the threshold was loud and impossible not to hear. Yala backed away from her boyfriend, locking her visor back in place. "Why didn't you knock?" she said, annoyed.

"I did," Hailey said. "You two lovebirds didn't hear me, you were too busy making out." Yala threw a pillow in her direction, and the older Ward daughter caught it with ease. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes, if you want some Martin." With that, she closed the door, her laughter audible as she walked away.

Yala watched jealously as the humans around her ate their delicious breakfast, as much as she should be used to it now. They were eating pancakes, covered in syrup, bacon, toast, with bowls of grits next to their plates. She had never heard of grits before she met the Wards, and wasn't sure how they tasted, but she would at least have liked to try them. Obviously that was impossible, if she wanted to stay alive anyway. She decided not to watch them eat, focusing intently on her tube of paste, imagining it was the fruits and vegetables she had been able to eat on Rannoch. After growing up mainly eating paste, the only real food she had eaten being the stuff they could grow on the liveships, real food from the soil and plants of Rannoch had been a shock, the most delicious food she had ever eaten. Remembering those meals only made her resent the moans of appreciation she heard from the others, so she went back to focusing intently on her paste.

Hailey and Neema had a list of places they wanted to take Yala and Martin, but Martin had insisted that he wanted to spend a couple of hours along with her first. Behind her visor, she was smiling as he somehow told the two girls this without them feeling offended. Plans were made for them all to go out together after lunch, and Martin and Yala left the house together. She wasted no time in intertwining both her hands with one of his. They walked aimlessly down the street, away from the house, away from the neighborhood, towards the large buildings in the distance. They avoided a few pockets of Terra Firma protestors, worse than ever after the incident a few days earlier, and eventually stopped at an arcade, dark as night and mostly empty. The only people Yala could see where two kids playing a driving game in one corner and a group of high school kids playing putt-putt golf outside.

She came to this arcade often, her love of video games coming naturally to her as she grew up. She would spend so many hours on her omnitool, playing the hundreds of different games that came installed, and when the first arcade had been built on Rannoch after the war she was one of the most common visitors. Martin was a lover of video games as well, and the two had a very competitive rivalry that was a large reason they became friends in the first place. Spotting a game with guns, she hurried over. It was called Citadel Defense, and had two guns set up that looked like Avenger assault rifles, though Yala knew they didn't shoot like assault rifles. Martin joined her, and put his credit chit in the proper slot. "Same stakes as always?" she asked as they each took up their gun.

"If I win, yes. If I lose, I don't know what you were talking about."

Yala grinned cockily, and focused on the screen ahead as the game started. Husks, Collectors, Marauders, Brutes, and Banshees all popped up on screen, shooting at the player as you tried to defend the Presidium. Yala and Martin had played this game more than a few times, and had much of the early game memorized. They took down the enemies easily, their health bars barely getting scratched in the process. Martin had the points lead after the first stage, though it was slim and easily overtaken. The second stage was always a tough one, with more enemies in a narrow hallway, but they managed without dying. Martin's lead actually ended up increasing, and Yala narrowed her eyes angrily at the confident smirk on her boyfriend's face. The third stage was much like the first, defending an area of the Presidium, and Yala went at it with a more intense focus, managing to trim Martin's lead. "So, I was thinking that I had a new way to get rewarded for kicking your ass at this again," Martin said, celebrating his triumph already.

"That game isn't over yet," Yala hissed.

"We never get past this level, and I always do better here anyway. Accept defeat now, and maybe I'll take it easy on you." Yala glared at him briefly, more determined than she had ever been in their gaming contests to beat the bastard. In this level, the furthest they had ever been, the players were tasked with defending the Citadel tower, positioned at the top of the stairs leading to the Council audience chamber. The enemies were mor numerous than ever, and a Reaper fired its beam down on the player from the exposed top of the tower. That was the danger in this level, that Reaper could take a player out in two shots. Yala was near frenzied throughout, firing as fast and accurately as she could manage, clicking the button to take cover in the nick of time before the Reaper beam hit her. In two minutes, Martin cursed, having missed a husk before taking cover and not being able to kill it before it took him down. Yala glanced at the scores briefly. She needed ten more kills to overtake him. She got off to a good start by killing the husk that killed Martin, along with one other. They were the easiest. A Banshee fell to her gunfire moments after that, and a Marauder as well. There were two Brutes steadily coming her way, and Yala was not able to squeeze off even a single shot before taking cover to avoid the Reaper beam. The grenade she had saved came in handy then, weakening the Brutes enough that she could kill them, the second one only a second or two away from taking a good chunk of her health.

The Brutes were what made this level so damn hard, Yala thought angrily. Three more replaced the two she just killed. Two husks sprinted her way, and she only killed one before they could reach her, the final husk taking a decent amount of her health before she could kill it. She needed two more, and the only enemies on screen where the three Brutes and two Banshees, all of which took a lot of shots to kill. Firing as quickly as she was sure was possible on the fake gun, she managed to make one of the Banshees stumble backwards, something she had never seen on this game before. Judging by Martin's reaction, he'd never seen it either. The other Banshee got to Yala, taking her health down extremely low before she could kill it. One more hit from anything and she would be done, and two of the Brutes had moved ahead of the Banshee. With their full health and her lack of health, there was no way she could get her final kill on either of them. She had four shots left before she would have to reload, and that would take too long. The Reaper beam fired, forcing her to take cover, and leaving even less of an opportunity. The only target on the Banshee was it's head and neck, standing tall above and behind one of the Brutes. Her first shot missed to the right. Her second shot missed high. The third was right on target, as was the fourth, and she watched with satisfaction as the Banshee died, a second and a half, maybe, before the Brutes finished her off. Yala glanced at the scores, and saw she had taken the slimmest of leads. "Ha, I beat you!" she screamed in Martin's face. "Where's your trash talk now? Where are you skills, all that talk about being a better shot? What happened, you bosh'tet?"

Martin only grinned at her, shrugging. "Good thing we didn't have anything on the line."

* * *

The end of the day simply came too soon for Martin. After the arcade, they had walked around, taking in the sights, eventually stopping at a dextro restaurant to get lunch for Yala, and a burger joint to get food for himself. Yala seemed more than appreciative about getting to eat real food, though she ate her meal quick so as to make sure she would not get sick. A decade on Rannoch helped their immune system, but not so much she could afford to be careless. After lunch, they walked back to the Wards' home, where Hailey and Neema were waiting. They all went to the mall, a common occurrence according to Yala. He dragged her into a photo booth, paying for a set of pictures they could each keep some of after he left that night. After the mall, they spent an hour bowling, something Martin hadn't done in years. Neema was some kind of prodigy at the game, rolling a 200 game, easily better than him at 140. When it was time to leave, he thanked the Wards for their hospitality and their kindness towards Yala, and they headed to the spaceport together.

Yala's melancholy demeanor was not surprising, as hard as she tried to stay happy. "I'll call you the moment I get back on the Leatum, I promise. Not a message, I'll call you." Yala nodded. "Come on, you had fun, right?"

"Yes, of course," Yala said immediately. "That's why it sucks that you're leaving. I know you have to, but it still sucks. Who knows how long it will be before we see each other again?"

Martin grabbed one of her hands. "Well, a few more months of loyal, quality service and I'll probably have a good gift to bring back. Same with you. The Wards are such nice people, they'd probably give you something to take back today, if you asked."

"They are great, aren't they? Hailey and Neema can be a bit much sometimes, but they are a lot of fun." Yala grabbed his other hand with her free one. "I'll be waiting for your call," she said firmly, moving forward to hug him.

Martin embraced her, resting his head on the top of her helmet. "As soon as I get back, I promise." They stayed that way for about ten minutes, reluctantly parting when Martin knew he was out of time. With a final, lingering touch of their fingers, the two walked away from each other, and Martin entered the airlock of the ship taking him back to work.

* * *

**Have any of you ever heard of someone named Neema? I was drawing a blank on a second name for the Wards' daughters, and saw it when looking some up. Figured it would be an interesting name for a human girl in the Mass Effect universe. Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

The morning was cool, with a gentle breeze that made Tali shiver. She had not yet locked her visor in place, wanting to feel the wind, the sunlight warming her face, wanted to breathe in her homeworld's natural atmosphere. Even after so many years, she did not dismiss such simple pleasures, the most basic of functions that Quarian children would one day never consider special, she did not take such pleasures for granted. Her body continued to adjust to Rannoch's atmosphere, making her suit less and less necessary, but at the end of the day it was still necessary. One day, though. One day, she would no longer have to wear her suit. One day, she would be able to leave her home and enjoy her Rannoch without restriction. She could go outside and work in her garden, feel the dirt on her hands, breathing in the soil's aroma. She could go to a beach, wearing one of those bikinis human women wore. She could wear a beautiful dress out on a date with Shepard. One day, she told herself.

She locked her visor in place, sighing as she did so. It was time to meet with the other Admirals. A week and a half had passed since she had examined the two inactive geth brought in by Gerrel's marines. She still couldn't wrap her mind around what she and Koris had found out. Every trace of Reaper code was gone, and the geth had somehow been reverted back to their original programming, back before their collective intelligence led to their sentience. Neither Tali or Koris could explain how this had been done. It was beyond either of their abilities to comprehend. Somehow, Daro'Xen and the scientists with her had done what Xen had been trying to do for more than a decade. She had brought the geth back under control.

This news had been met with sheer panic. Gerrel yelled and threatened, wanting to bomb every inch of unoccupied land on the planet and draft every able bodied quarian into military service. Raan wanted move the entire population into underground bunkers, near hysterical with fear that Xen would use the geth to initiate a bloody coup and force the rest of the quarian race into some dictatorship she would lead, killing anyone who opposed her. Even Tali had to admit to fear of what Xen was capable of, what her motives would be. Much to all of their surprise, it was Koris who served as the voice of reason, reminding them that what Xen was doing, she had never done with the aim of subjugating her own people under some tyrannical rule. If she was to make contact with them, it would be to gloat over her success and persuade them that she had been right all along. Xen's intentions were not what the Admiralty Board should fear, he explained. If the geth had truly been reverted back to their original programming, then eventually they would once again regain sentience, and the Geth War would be repeated.

How long it would take for these geth to regain sentience, no one knew or could predict with any certainty. It was a complete unknown, since Tali and Koris could not even say how Xen had managed to revert the programming the way she did. They needed to find Xen's hideout as soon as possible, and deal with this problem immediately. The orders were given immediately, the search for Xen was the top priority, and efforts were to be tripled. Every hour of every day was to be spent searching for the rogue quarians. Both Tali and Shepard were very active participants in this search, spending nearly every moment of every day on shuttles, flying over unpopulated areas around the planet, only stopping to eat what was necessary to keep their strength up, to keep them going.

Keelah, did she love that man. Shepard had no stake in this. Rannoch was not his homeworld, the quarians were not his people, yet he was out there every day, without a single complaint. Every day she sat in a shuttle, having come up empty, so angry that every word she spoke was spat out, so fearful she shook. Then Shepard would put an arm around her, hold her close, and tell her they would find Xen, that everything would be okay. Every day, she believed him, because he was John Shepard, she loved him, and she wanted to believe him. There were not that many more places to search, and eventually process of elimination would reveal Xen's hideout. It would all end soon. She did not need her bondmate's reassurance to know that, she could feel it, deep inside, with unshakeable confidence. If it came to war again, they would not be exiled from their homeworld again. Not while a single breath exhaled from her lungs, while she still had a working brain capable of giving her capable body the commands necessary to fight.

The shuttles were in their typical spot near the spaceport. There were forty in all, every shuttle that could possibly be spared. Two hundred quarian marines were standing nearby, talking nervously, the tense energy among them easy to feel as Tali and Shepard walked by. Dozens upon dozens of engineers were making their final checks on the shuttles themselves, moving as quickly as they could while still doing their job correctly. It was a genuine concern whether the shuttles could handle the stress of the workload being asked of them, transporting two hundred and fifty soldiers around the planet for thirteen or fourteen hours a day. The engineers could not have been more skeptical, but so far there had been no problems. Tali spotted the other admirals standing alone, talking to each other with the same nervousness as the marines. Raan, in particular, was trying desperately to appear cheerful and optimistic. As Tali and Shepard approached, the admirals quieted, turning to greet them with nods. "Hello, Tali, Shepard," Raan greeted, enthusiasm so fake it seemed to hurt her. Tali had a good feeling that behind her Auntie's visor, there were an exhausted, haunted woman holding on by a thread. Tali nodded. They had already agreed upon the areas to be searched, the night before when the previous day's search was over. There was nothing to be discussed that morning. Marines were assigned to shuttles, search zones were assigned, and the day's search began.

"Down below, there's a power reading of some kind," Harel'Brus said. "It's more than I've seen anywhere else, Admiral."

Tali left her spot next to Shepard to analyze the screen in front of Harel. Three hours into the day's searching, and things had gone no differently to this point. A few suspicious areas, thoroughly searched, only to find nothing. Too much time spent sitting on the cold metal benches molded into the side of the shuttle, until Shepard felt his legs and ass go numb. He would stand and pace, at least as much as he could in a cramped space with two or three others, depending on whether Tali was in the cockpit with the pilot or not. A few more days of this, and he would go crazy. It did not make sense to him how Daro'Xen had managed to go unfound. They had covered every inch of Rannoch by now, the idea that Xen had left the planet was growing more possible with every hour she went unfound. That wouldn't really explain the two geth that had been killed, but what other explanation was there.

Shepard heard Tali tell the pilot to take the shuttle down to the ground, and she came back to sit next to him. "We're going down to search the area," she told them. "There's a definite energy signature, it's as good a hint as any other we've found. Be ready for anything." The two marines sitting across from Shepard nodded, lifting their guns from the ground near their feet and began checking them, a ritual drilled into every soldier's brain before potential combat. Tali nervously tapped her foot after returning to her spot next to him. She did not bother to check her shotgun or pistol. She was as familiar with them as she was with her own body, and no one touched her weapons besides her. The shuttle's thrusters shifted position, and the shuttle began lowering to the ground. "This is going to be it," Tali whispered. "I can feel it. We're going to find something down there.

Shepard did not voice his doubts as to that. He bent to reach for his own assault rifle when Harel shouted, "We have incoming! Brace for evasive maneuvers!" The shuttle jerked violently, nearly sending all of them to the ground. Once they recovered, they fastened their harness over their upper body. Shepard's pulse quickened, the adrenaline already taking over. The shuttle lurched again, and he could swear he heard a rocket fly by the shuttle. Harel continued their descent as he dodged projectiles, doing an admirable job. Tali told Shepard the best pilots had been assigned to the shuttles the Admirals were in, and he could believe it to watch Harel in action at that moment. Unfortunately, the number of rockets being shot their way only increased, until finally Harel shouted, "Brace for impact!" Two seconds later, the shuttle was rocked, a thruster failed, and Harel began a reckless descent before the shuttle was blown out of the sky. Tali's head was bowed, whispering something in Khelish, and Shepard gently gripped her hand, offering the most comforting smile he could manage.

* * *

"So what do we do in that situation?" Martin asked. "I mean, the ship has weapons, but I wouldn't say they are state of the art or anything. Our shields wouldn't last very long in a fight either."

"That's why we're here," Varius told him. "Anyone who attacks us would be looking to get our cargo, so destroying the ship isn't part of their goal. Worst case scenario, they will either disable our engines and force their way in through the airlock, or try to create a breach point to enter through. That's why Harome pays top dollar for the best private security."

"Have you ever had pirates board the Leatum before?" Martin asked.

Varius tilted his head, thinking. He was one of the senior members of the security force onboard the ship, and had served on the Leatum itself for five years now. Piok didn't like him very much, but respected him greatly, while Lucanus nearly idolized him. The more time Martin spent around Lucanus, the more he discovered that his turian friend was an anti-social mess around anyone he looked up to, and had a serious problem with idol worship. Sometimes it was a little much. "Six times, if I remember correctly. Last was about eight months ago. Our first year here, we had three different attacks." Martin knew that when Varius said "we" or "our" he meant himself and the others from the private security firm that he was hired from. "They learned their lesson quickly. The three other attacks were small time, not serious. One of them, we weren't even needed, the ship outran them"

"Wow," Martin said, not knowing what else to say. "And you guys drove them away every time?" Varius nodded. "You guys must be really good."

"The best," Varius gloated. "That's why those of us from the company are paid so much better than your friends are."

"You think they would hold up if we ever got attacked?"

"I think so," Varius said confidently. "Your pal Lucanus, especially. He's slightly annoying, but the kid can fight, he can shoot, and he is smart." Varius gave Martin a look over. "Do you have any combat training? Every one on the ship should some sort of training, no matter what their responsibilities are. At the very least you should be able to fire a gun competently."

Martin smirked. "Believe me, I can hold my own in a fight."

"I'm not talking about a fist fight, like Piok told us happened on Mars."

"Neither am I." Martin hesitated before continuing. He didn't want what he was about to say to sound arrogant or make him look like a brat. "Any chance you've heard who my father is? Piok and Lucanus both know, and Piok loves to talk."

This time Varius smirked. "Yeah, I heard. Being Commander Shepard's son doesn't mean you are born able to fight, though."

"Definitely. But being given lessons for months before I left home helps."

Varius glared. "I might need to see these skills for myself."

Martin returned the glare. "Anytime, any place, any amount."

* * *

Shepard wasn't sure how, but the shuttle had landed. It had landed hard, it jerked them around violently, and he had hit his head on the metal behind it, which was quickly becoming annoyingly sore, but they landed safely. There was no time to wait though, whoever had been shooting at them would be coming to check for survivors immediately. Once everyone had removed their harnesses, grabbed their guns, and lined up near the shuttle exit, Tali said, "Get out and find cover. We'll wait for these bosh'tets to come to us, and take them out then." This order was met with aye-ayes all around. Shepard had made it clear from day one of these searches that he was to be treated like any other soldier. Tali was the Admiral, and he would not undermine her authority in any way. If she wanted his opinion, he would give it, otherwise the orders were completely hers. So far, Tali's complete authority had been a learning experience for the former Spectre. She did not hesitate with orders, barking them loud, clearly, and without a hint of nervousness or uncertainty. It was amazing, compared to the woman he had known back on the Normandy.

All of them rushed out of the shuttle, seeing that they had landed in an open area, with abandoned buildings thirty feet away. A crumbling concrete wall, standing four feet tall at it's highest, a section that lasted for ten feet or so, enough area for all of them to hide. Tali motioned for everyone to follow, and a few seconds later they were all ducked behind the concrete wall. The wait was only a minute, two at most, but it felt like hours. The other three marines were visibly nervous, fingers constantly loosing and tightening around their guns, deep breaths making their chest rise and fall. If he could see their faces, he guessed the nervousness would show there as well. Familiar, mechanical beeping alerted them to the arrival of geth. At least now they knew they had found something. Tali carefully lifted her head to look over the wall, crouching back down quickly, yet silently. There were four of them, she gestured, all standing near each other. They waited another minute, knowing the geth would search the shuttle. Finally, when the beeps of the geth could be heard again, she motioned for them to fire on the count of three. Shepard gripped his assault rifle, took one last final, calming, deep breath. When Tali counted to three, he was the first to begin shooting. One of the geth fell to his bullets immediately.

Six more geth showed up just moments before the last of the first four fell, and four more came after that, all of their fire aimed at the three quarians taking cover with the one human. One of the marines lobbed a grenade over the wall, momentarily stopping the geth gunfire and allowing them a chance to run to the nearest building, a decrepit five story building that looked to Shepard to have once been an apartment building. Shots were firing in their direction seconds after they began running, though luckily none of them hit their mark. Shepard reached the building first, using his shoulder to level the front door open without breaking his stride, and providing covering fire while the others ran inside.

Tali began frantically working with her omnitool while Shepard and the others closed and blocked the front door, using a desk nearby. He busted out one window afterwards, while the other marines did the same at other windows. They laid down suppressing fire while Tali tried to contact anyone she could for help. "Harel, please tell me you activated the shuttle's distress beacon before we left!" she shouted.

"Yes, ma'am, before we landed," the pilot answered.

Tali's sigh of relief was loud. "Good work, soldier. I can't raise anyone with my omnitool, and that means there's no one within range. We'll have to hold out for at least fifteen or twenty minutes. Shepard, come with me. The rest of you, keep them away from the entrance. Shout for me immediately if anything changes in their tactics." Shepard walked over to his bondmate, and was immediately grabbed by the arm, down a hallway towards a back exit. They stopped at one of the first floor apartments and found a dresser to block that back door, carrying it quickly there. Once that was done, Tali took a deep breath, her worry evident. "Keelah, Shepard, I need some help here. What do we do?'

Shepard placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You've done fine so far. The main entrances are blocked, reinforcements are on the way, and we have to wait. There's only five of us, which limits our options, and we don't have time to go around barricading every potential entrance. At some point they will probably try and break through the windows…"

"We should move to the second level when that happens," Tali interrupted.

Shepard couldn't help his smile. "Correct. We're looking at twenty or thirty minutes here. I think you have the right idea. Play it safe, move up a floor when we can, pick our shots carefully to make sure we don't run out of ammo."

Tali breathed in deep again. "Okay. Let's get back to the others."

Harel and the two other marines were holding their ground, taking cover beneath windows and popping up to shoot whenever the geth fire lessened. They were holding the geth at bay, and every second they did so was another second that reinforcements drew closer. Tali told them the plan while Shepard took another window and joined his gunfire to the others, and afterwards Tali pulled out her pistol to do the same. The geth were hesitant, and Shepard could see at least four of them deactivated on the ground. Unfortunately, he still counted ten geth outside, which suggested more had come along to replace the fallen. Shepard was beginning to think they may have found Xen after all, and hoped an appropriate number of reinforcements would be sent to back them up.

It took ten minutes for the geth to stop trying to assault the front door. By that time they were up to fifteen, and when the first shatter of broken glass could be heard in the apartments behind them, Tali gave the order, all of them hustling to the second floor. Harel planted one proximity mine at the end of the hallway behind them, another at the bottom of the stairs leading further up, and his last at the top of the stairs. Each of them kicked open the door to an apartment, separate from each other, and waited. It was not long before the first mine was triggered, and the harsh electronic equivalent of a scream was heard. Harel pumped his fist in celebration. The second mine went off a few moments later, this time with no sound from a geth. The final one went off thirty seconds after that, again with no indication that it had taken any geth with its explosion. It had still bought them valuable time.

* * *

A cold sweat was covering Raan's body as they approached the sight of the distress signal, originating from the shuttle Tali had been in. Despite all the reassurances the other marines had given and she had given herself, that Tali would be okay, she could handle herself, Shepard was with her, it did little to reassure Raan. This was more than an admiral in trouble to her, this was Tali, who she treated as if she was her daughter. This was Tali, who Raan would do anything for, would kill for, die for. Shepard was the only reason Raan was not in a full blown panic at the moment. The human cared for Tali just as much as she did, if not more, and he would do everything possible to keep her safe as well. "Why can't this shuttle go any faster!?" she whispered harshly. If the other marines heard or had an answer, they did not show it.

Ten other shuttles had broken off from their searches to respond to the distress signal, and Raan heard them fire their missiles moments before the shuttle she was in did the same. Twenty seconds later, the doors opened, and Raan was only kept from rushing out by the frantic, painful grip of her pilot. "Admiral Raan, please wait. The soldiers can handle it," he pleaded.

Much as she wanted to punch the marine, wrench free, and join the fight, she knew he was right. Raan had never fired a gun for any reason other than target practice, and would be nothing more than a danger out there. Reluctantly, she stayed on the shuttle, listening intently. If those bosh'tets couldn't drive off the geth and save her niece, it would take every quarian on the planet to keep her from joining the fight. If Tali was dead, then nothing would stop her from single-handedly killing every geth she could. With such a distraught state of mind, she did not know how much time passed before a hand touched her forearm, and she looked up to see another marine, not her pilot, standing there. "We've pushed them back, Tali'Shepard and her crew are safe. Should we pursue?"

Thank the Ancestors, Raan thought, trembling at the news. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. "Yes. Take twenty marines, I don't care who's in charge, and find out where the geth came from. Break off pursuit if they enter any type of underground facility of any kind."

* * *

Now on the third floor, twenty-five minutes passed, Tali was beginning to worry. They were running low on the thermal clips, and the geth were a seemingly endless tide. So far there were no casualties, but they would run out of places to run soon, and the geth numbers would overwhelm them no matter how well they fought. Casting a glance at the human man in front of her, firing his assault rifle without the slightest hint of worry, she had to resist the urge to blurt out all the things she wanted to tell him before they died. Tali remembered feeling the same way when they landed on the Citadel, upside down on the Mako. She felt the same way during the crew's last stand while Shepard had been in the central chamber of the Collector base, though not as bad because of what they had said and done beforehand. She figured she always wanted to say such things when facing danger because of her parents, who she had never been able to tell much she loved before they died. Pushing such a stupid distraction aside, she waited for the next geth to pop its flashlight head into view, and put three shots directly into the light.

They were about to retreat to the fourth and final floor when the deafening boom of rockets hitting outside knocked them all to a knee. Tali smiled, no fear or wonder about what had happened. She knew those rockets came from their reinforcements. "That's our backup!" Tali shouted. "Hold your ground, we have these buckets right where we want them!" With newfound vigor, the four quarians and lone human let loose on the geth. Knowing they would soon be trapped, the geth began retreating. Tali counted at least ten kills as they pushed the geth back, stepping over their bullet ridden corpses as she and her squad continued to press the attack. The quarian reinforcements ran into them on the stairs leading from the first floor to the second, and one of them ran off out the door while the others saluted. "Damn good to see you, Admiral Shepard," one of them, dressed in a red and white envious, similar to Kal'Reegar's, greeted. "Admiral Raan is waiting outside, she was desperate to see you. Tali looked back to Shepard, who nodded to her.

"Auntie Raan!" Tali shouted, running the rest of the way to her fellow Admiral and loved one. Raan ran to meet her, and the two embraced tightly when they met. "Took you long enough," Tali joked. "I thought we were going to have to kill all these geth ourselves."

"Keelah, I was so worried," Raan said, hugging her even tighter. "Why do you do this to me?"

"I didn't exactly choose to have my shuttle shot down, leaving me to defend myself against dozens of geth."

Raan knew she was right, and that it was hypocritical to say that Tali should never have been on a shuttle. It was hard to remember that she was a grown woman, an Admiral, and had been for many years now. "You're right. I'm just so glad you're safe."

"Me too," Tali said. "So what now? I think we found her, what do we do now? I saw marines running after the geth, do we join them?"

"No," Raan said curtly. "We do nothing. We let the marines handle this."

The anger in her niece did not go unnoticed. "Raan, our leadership is needed. I will not sit here doing nothing while the soldiers we command take all the risk. If you do not want to join them, I will."

"Tali, I forbid it!"

"You have no right to forbid me to do anything! I am not a little girl, I am an admiral, damn it, and if my marines are pressing forward, so am I!"

Raan wanted to scream, nearly dropped to her knees to cry and beg Tali to listen to her, to listen to common sense. The older admiral knew that she was the one not listening to common sense, however. "Okay. I'll call for more reinforcements, and keep a squad of ten to stand guard in case any geth come back. You take the others and join the twenty I sent after the retreating geth. If you find Xen, try to talk some sense into her."

* * *

Shepard had waited at a safe distance, talking shop with some of the quarian marines, while Tali talked to Raan. When the conversation was over, and Tali came his way, he stood at attention, along with the others. Tali briefly glanced his way as she walked past. "Your orders are simple. Join the squad ahead in finding and neutralizing the geth, and find Daro'Xen. Watch each other's backs, don't take stupid risks, and we'll all ge tout of this alive. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" came the return, and Tali told them to march out. Shepard could not have been prouder of his bondmate, and when she stared at him, definitely smiling behind her visor, he returned the smile. "Ready to find this bitch and end it?" he asked.

Tali nodded. "Definitely. Let's get it done."

* * *

**I probably rushed the end of this chapter a little, but it was running a little long. **

**Next chapter: Xen...**


	18. Chapter 18

Late afternoon arrived to the sound of storm clouds, rising high to the north, trumpeting their formation as they slowly drifted south, directly towards Tali and the others. Fitting, she thought to herself. Tali stood in front of thirty-nine quarian marines and her bondmate, John Shepard, trying to think of what exactly to say. Her speeches had gotten better over the years, out of necessity, but they still felt awkward, as if she was outside herself, watching someone else possess her body and inspire others. If she was honest, she just tried to remember what others had said in such situations, what Shepard or her father or Han'Gerrel would say. That tended to work. Hopefully it would work this time, too. Shepard was watching impassively, as always, fully bowing to her authority as the commander, the leader. Tali glanced in his direction, his mere presence seeming to comfort the marines around them. "Okay, marines, we have our objective," she began. Be blunt, be honest, that worked most the time. "We find Xen, kill all the geth we can along the way, and hopefully bring her in alive. If not, if she tries to kill us first, do not hesitate to shoot. Understood?" The aye-ayes were a roar, briefly drowning out the drum of thunder that boomed from the approaching storm. Tali gripped her shotgun, pointed it ahead, and waved for her squad leaders to move ahead. As much as she wanted to take point, she knew that as an Admiral, it was not smart.

The geth had not had time to hide the bunker entrance, a very wide set of stairs that led down to massive steel doors, still open as well. The marines that gave chase to the geth had done a damn fine job. Traveling in lines of five, they walked down the stairs, stopping at the doors to push them open all the way. This took three soldiers on each door, a whining metal groan as they scraped along the ground. Tali wondered if the were normally automated. Past the doors, blinking red lights along the walls were the only thing that kept the hallway ahead from total darkness. They crept slowly inside, and Tali suddenly felt very, very vulnerable. They were walking very closely together. "Halt!" she said. "We should take advantage of our numbers and search as much of this facility as possible. Gran, Kili, take your squads and begin searching the rooms to our left and right. Vimir, take your squad ahead. If you come across a hallway or a door leading further into the facility, send someone back to tell us, do not shout. We don't want every geth in this bunker knowing we are here." The three squad leaders that had been addressed all nodded, and began carrying out their orders.

* * *

"Not bad," Varius said, looking on from somewhere behind. Lucanus and Piok were somewhere on the target range as well, watching, as were six others belonging to the same company Varius belonged to. Impressed whispers just on the edge of his hearing made Martin grin cockily. He backed away from the stall, lowering the pistol to his side. "You can shoot, I'll give you that much," Varius continued. "I hope you don't suddenly forget how to if there is someone alive that needs killing."

"Not a problem," Martin said, trying to convince himself as well as the rest of them. There was no way to know how you would react in that situation until it was staring you in the face, his father had told him, when Martin asked him about the first time he killed someone. Surprisingly, the great Commander Shepard's first kill had not been anything out of the ordinary. He had sniped someone, completely detached, not having to hear the grunt of pain or see the body afterwards. Still, Shepard had thrown up violently afterwards.

"Hopefully we'll never have to find out if you're bullshitting us or not," Varius said.

After displaying his shooting skills at the ship's gun range, and still in awe that the ship had a gun range, though it made sense considering the security would need to keep their skills sharp, he went back down to engineering, to continue working. Compared to what Tali had used to train him and the ship that had taken him to Mars, the Leatum was a dream, a cakewalk of a job that didn't require more than half his concentration or thought most days. The Leatum was top of the line, with all the latest non-military technology, with tech that responded flawlessly most the time. This created a light-hearted, possibly too distracted atmosphere among the engineers, since they had to find some way to entertain themselves during the time when there was simply nothing that needed their attention. Martin had been hesitant to join in during the first week or two, but these days he was accepted as one of them, without question. He walked towards the console he typically worked on, clicking a few keys. No response. Martin's brow furrowed, and he punched a few other keys, again receiving no response. He knew immediately what had happened, and shouted, "Come on, I'm really not in the mood for this shit!" A few laughter filled moments later, and the security locks on his console were gone, allowing him to work.

The hours passed quickly and easily, almost as if Martin had simply stood in place for five hours, only occasionally moving when he talked to someone. When his shift ended, he found his legs were stiff from lack of use, and he hobbled away from engineering, taunts shouted his way the entire time. Despite the easy shift, typical and uneventful, Martin felt tired, ready to collapse on his bed and sleep until he had to work again. A few others were sitting at a table in the shared quarters where her bed was, playing a card game and ignoring him while they stared at their cards. Martin barely glanced in their direction either before dropping face first onto his bed.

* * *

The first quarian corpse belonged to Shala'Herz, whose service during the wars to both retake and defend Rannoch Tali remembered vividly. She had served in the Civilian Fleet, and as such held many of the same views on the Geth that Zaal'Koris did. Despite her misgivings about the war, however, she had given everything she had. Her ship was one shot down during the fight above the homeworld, and Shala had been one of five capable survivors on that ship that somehow held off the geth that came to finish them off until Tali was able to send ships to retrieve those five and the injured still in the ship. Tali had worked alongside her personally while restoring shields and defenses before the Reapers came. During the actual fighting, she had been one of the soldiers helping hold back the Reapers outside the bunker, dragging the injured to safety at the risk of her own life on multiple occasions. Besides her bravery as a soldier, Shala'Herz was also an admirable woman, a new mother at the time of the war, her son only a year and a half old, and whose husband had died during the push to reclaim Rannoch. Tali could never understand how she was able to fight the way she had with a baby at home, and when she asked, Shala had told her, "My child is why I fight. I would do whatever it took to give my son the life his parents never had." Ancestors bless the woman, she had done all that and more. And now she was dead, and there was no doubting what had happened.

Unfortunately, Shala'Herz was far from the last casualty they found. By the time they reached the third level of the compound, thirty others had been found dead, some with deactivated geth nearby, suggesting they fought, but many looking as if their murder had been a complete surprise. Judging by the blood on the ground, the deaths had all occurred within the last few hours. Tali fought back tears, recognizing so many of the envirosuits, remembering the people they had been, the friends they had been. More than friends, family. They were all family, and they were all dead. A few times she had stopped in place, staring at another corpse of someone she knew, unable to keep moving, not wanting to see who else was lying dead. A hand would gently touch her shoulder, warm, loving, and she would see Shepard standing behind her, sorrow in his eyes because of Tali's sadness. Not just her sadness, she corrected herself. Shepard had known some of them as well, had become as much family to the quarian people as anyone else. This had to be affecting him just as badly as it was the others. Every time, Tali would swallow her grief, refusing to let herself stop now, not when she saw the other soldiers around her pressing on. She had to be strong for them. Grief could come later, when this was over.

The first confirmation of what had happened within the bunker came from a console inside a lab room, where four gurneys lined the wall and various tools lay scattered around the floor. Like the rest of the bunker, the only light came from blinking red lights along the floor and walls. When the console powered on, besides the information it provided, it also proved that the lack of lights was not due to lack of power, even if it was temporary or prioritized for certain functions. Tali stood in front of the console, watching the screen as two quarians discussed the geth. The similarity between this bunker and the Alarei were beginning to bring back the horrible memories of that day, even after so many years. They were discussing security measures, how to contain the geth, when the door nearby was blasted off its hinges, rocketing across the room and taking one of the quarians with it. Tali looked away as the second quarian screamed. Three more consoles confirmed Tali's worst fears. The Geth had already rebelled.

Gran, Kili, and Vimir continued to lead the way, searching every room. So far, there were no geth to be found besides the ones that were dead. The marines outside the bunker were insistent that the retreating geth had come down here, but there was no resistance as they continued along the third level. Finally, they reached another set of heavy double doors, much like they had passed three times now, beyond which lay a stairwell leading further down. Gran took his squad ahead, and was on the next to last step before gunfire began ripping through his body, the marine quickly collapsing in a bloody heap and rolling down the stairs. The rest of his squad retreated back up the stairs. "Did you see them?" Tali asked, as calmly as she could manage.

"There's a turret keeping us from moving down the stairs. I didn't see any geth."

Tali quickly thought the situation through. "There has to be an elevator, at least to move heavy cargo. We need to find it."

The cargo elevator was back on the first level of the bunker, stuck in place halfway back up to the surface. After every attempt was made to get the elevator moving again, unsuccessfully, they decided to rappel down the shaft instead. Tali gripped the cable in her hands as tightly as she could manage, kicking off the wall and moving down two or three feet at a time, frightened and uncertain the entire time. Keelah, when did she become a damned special ops soldier? When she finally reached the fourth, final level of the bunker, the doors leading out of the elevator shaft forced open just enough by those that had repelled down first for one person to squeeze through, she wasn't sure she had ever been so relieved to just stand somewhere. Ten more minutes passed before all of the marines and Shepard had rappelled down, and in that time no geth or turrets or anything had fired at them. There was only one door in the hallway that Tali could see, about fifteen feet away on the right, and the end of the hallway was five or six feet past that, running perpendicular into another hallway. Kili and Vimir split Gran's squad between them, and led the way again. When they reached the hallway, Kili hurried out of sight, returning a few moments later to tell them the turret was deactivated.

The geth were waiting in a large lab waiting past a massive shutter door, firing from nearly every direction and catching two of Kili's squad in the crossfire. Tali shouted the retreat, the soldiers at the rear grabbed the largest and thickest tables they could find in the rooms behind them to set up as cover, and ten separate frag and EMP grenades were tossed into the lab, though none of them had a visual on any casualties they caused, if any. The geth had the lab completely under their control, there was no other way inside, and an attempt to storm the geth would only lead to unnecessary casualties. "What do we do, Admiral?" Vimir asked.

Tali wished she could admit she had no idea. "Quaun!" she called. The young quarian marine, whose squad had been covering the rear of the formation, crouched forward. "Get back to the surface, and tell Raan to call for more reinforcements. Make sure they bring explosives. Tell her what we have found down her as well." Quaun nodded and led two of the soldiers in his squad back the way they came, able to go through the door now that the turret was gone.

"I'm assuming you have a plan?" Shepard asked her.

In the confusion and panic, she had somehow forgot he was there. How did John Shepard make himself blend in? It seemed impossible. Tali nodded. "We don't have much of a choice but to blow out the walls and create breach points. At the very least we'll give them more than one entrance to worry about. Losses seem unavoidable, though." Tali cast her gaze towards the floor, metal and probably cold.

Shepard nodded back at her. "Sorry to say, but I agree. The geth are entrenched, I doubt they'll make a move first. We'll have to hold this position until reinforcements arrive and try to thin their numbers the best we can in the process."

"No one thins numbers like you, John. Get to it, Admiral's orders." Shepard smirked, gripped his assault rifle, and headed for the tables being used as cover. He immediately began taking shots into the lab, pointing out targets to others at the same time. Tali stayed near the rear of the formation, sitting with her back supported by the wall. Only a few shots came near Shepard and the others, and they didn't fire very often either. It was a strange kind of battlefield calm that Tali had grown used to in her time on the Normandy. She found that despite the dire circumstances in such moments, the tension they all felt, she remembered those moments fondly. Staring out into the ocean at Virmire, in awe of the waves, the sand, the storm clouds gathering in the distance, quick bolts of lightning dancing around each other before striking towards the surface furiously. The hours before the Mu Relay, looking at the shotgun Shepard had bought, the finest weapon she had ever seen. She had spent more than an hour examining that weapon, a smile never leaving her face. The moments spent afraid and alone on Haestrom, accepting the idea that her death was near, reflecting on her successes and failures, when suddenly she heard the deafening mechanical roar of the Colossus outside exploding. Even on Rannoch, with Shepard at her side, helping her take back her homeworld. No matter what happened that day, Tali would have been happy. Shepard had proven how much he loved her, in a way no one in the galaxy could ever hope to match.

Tali had slipped into that thoughtful state again, sitting with her back against the wall, the gunfire to her left settling into a rhythm of exchanges, when she heard the shouts from her right telling her the reinforcements had arrived. Only thirty minutes had passed, and Tali suddenly remembered that Raan had called for reinforcements before they descended into the bunker. She hoped they had explosives on them. Quaun led them, running ahead to where Tali was standing. "I'm guessing these soldiers were on the way before you talked to Raan?' Quaun nodded. "Tell me they have explosives with them." Quaun never had to answer, as heavy bags were thrown on the ground, explosives pulled out. Tali nodded. "Place those on the walls of the rooms to our left and right," she said, not wanting to give the orders too loudly and warn the geth. Once the explosives were in place, she had Shepard and Vimir's squad pull back. Every lined up in formation, ready to make their move. Holding up one hand in view of the marines holding the detonators, she slowly put one finger down, beginning the countdown.

* * *

Tali was part of the group of fifteen storming through the breach point in the room to the right of the lab entrance, and when the wall collapsed she wasted no time storming through the hole the explosives made, firing at every geth she saw. Throughout the room, a cacophony of gunfire threatened to deafen Tali, but she ignored it as the adrenaline took over. Two geth lost limbs to her gunfire, and she only just managed to dodge return fire, hearing the projectiles scar the wall behind her. She moved quickly, firing into every crowd of geth she could find, never staying still. She saw two men in Kili's squad go down, screaming their pain as others tried to drag them away, only providing easy targets for the geth. Grief was not possible in that moment, not in the middle of battle. The geth numbers were declining quickly as the quarian marines pressed further into the lab. For some reason, the geth never tried to retreat. Tali could see the doors leading further into the bunker, but the geth were not using them. She would have thought about why if she wasn't so concerned with staying alive. The battle was brief, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, and when it was over, every geth that had run into the bunker lay dead, thirty strong, the stench of smoking machinery overwhelming and making Tali wince behind her visor. Ten quarian marines fell in the battle, and Tali left the majority of her forces behind to carry their bodies back to the surface so they could be given proper burial and remembrance for their sacrifice. Tali, Shepard, and thirteen others pushed further into the bunker.

Xen was inside what appeared to be a situation room. Communication equipment covered an entire wall, desks and consoles covered another. A large screen was built into the wall above the desks and consoles. In the middle of the room, there was a large table with a holographic map of Rannoch, red dots sparsely placed throughout every landmass. Xen was sitting in a chair, facing a wall. At first glance Tali thought she was dead, but her chest rose with a breath, which wheezed out, the act clearly a struggle. Tali placed her shotgun in its holster on her back, and drew her pistol, signaling for the others to wait, tentatively drawing closer. The gleam of blood became visible, flowing in a trickle from multiple wounds in Xen's torso. Tali's breath caught in her throat. "Keelah," she whispered, horrified. Despite everything Xen had done, she was still family, she was still a quarian. Seeing her in such a state, without any doubt as to what happened, Tali pitied the woman.

A ragged, pained cough escaped Xen's lips. Tali rushed to her side. "Xen! Xen hang on, we'll get you some help!"

"No," Xen wheezed, barely a whisper that Tali had to lean close to hear. "Just let me die."

"Don't talk like that, we can still help you," Tali argued. Shepard had approached, but was still keeping a respectable distance. "You're an admiral, Daro. You are not allowed to give up. Now hold on!"

Tali gently grabbed Xen's arm, but somehow the dying woman found the strength to yank her arm away. "Let me die!" she said as harshly as she could. "Do you realize what I've done? I did what I always wanted to do, what I spent every ounce of respect, every bit of power I had earned trying to do! I brought the geth back under control!" Xen coughed violently. She had been bleeding out for a long time. How she was still alive, Tali did not know, and there was no way they could save her. "I will not live to see myself branded a war criminal. I will not live with that shame." Weakly pointing a finger towards the table in the middle of the room, the one with the holographic map. "There were two hundred reprogrammed geth in the network when they rebelled. On that map, every red dot you see, that is a facility where geth were kept. Take whatever information you need from this bunker. Stop them. Stop my mistake. Please." Tali did not speak. She reached for Xen's hand, and held it as her breathing lessened, sporadic, weak. Eventually her chest stopped rising. Behind the visor, Tali could see Xen's eyes were open, empty. She had passed.

Every part of Tali wanted to hate Xen for what she did. Wanted to scream, wanted to celebrate the fact that Xen was dead. The tears that came to her eyes were inevitable. Tali tried to hold them in, but it was a losing battle. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. She was faintly aware of Shepard at her side, holding her, and she pressed her head to his chest, letting her tears out silently. She did not know how long they stayed that way, but it was long enough for one of the marines to approach. Tali separated herself from Shepard's embrace and willed her grief away. "Download every piece of information you can. We'll send engineers in to get whatever you can't. Backtrack through the facility, check everything. We need to know everything we can learn about the remaining geth and where they are."

The other admirals were waiting near the top of the stairs leading down into the bunker. Tali had composed herself by then, and relayed the events that occurred. They took the news in stride, and Gerrel even seemed to take a sick pleasure in the news. It was hard for Tali to stay composed in that moment, to not hit that man in the stomach with everything she had. The ride home in the shuttle was quiet, lonely, Tali and Shepard being given permission to head back alone while the others oversaw the recovery effort in the bunker. Tali kept her head on Shepard's shoulder for most of the ride, exhausted from everything that happened. She was glad to be riding alone with the man she loved, to be able to finally hold his hand and rest. The day's events had left physically and emotionally exhausted, unable to think clearly. She wanted to go home and sit on her couch, to send a message to Martin, to make love to Shepard, to forget what happened that night and remember the good things in life. The nightmares would come tonight. There was no doubt about that.

* * *

Martin was woken by a subtle shaking and the shouts of crew members. He rose from bed moments before Piok burst into the room, a look of fear and anxiety on his face the young human had never seen before. "Why aren't you up and armed?" Piok asked. "Come on, follow me to the armory!"

"Wait, what's happening?" Martin asked, voice still drowsy.

"Pirates incoming," the krogan told him. "They've been firing at the ship for five minutes now."

You've got to be kidding, Martin thought. "Why didn't anyone wake me? What the fuck?" Piok said nothing. "Damn it, let's go." Martin rushed out the door, following his krogan friend into the elevator, down to the armory.

* * *

**There it is, Xen is dead, and I hope you all enjoyed the way it played out. I really don't know how the fighting and action scenes went, if they are full of holes or something let me know so I can correct them. The story is reaching the climax now, won't be long before I'm done. Once the geth situation is resolved, and Martin's Pilgrimage is over, any chapters I do after that will be decided purely based on request. I'll be done with story arcs of any kind, and only do single chapters based on anything that people might want to see written about, which can range from flashbacks to any point in Tali and Shepard's relationship, flashbacks to any time in Martin's life, glimpses ahead to the future in the characters' lives, whatever as long as it isn't a story arc requiring multiple chapters. So go ahead and put in requests now, I will be paying attention and thinking on them while finishing the main story.**


	19. Chapter 19

**I had planned on getting this out quicker, but you know, life. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

For the first time on his Pilgrimage, Martin found himself pushed to his limits. The pirate ship's guns were more than a match for the Leatum's defenses, and every engineer was parked in front of a console, doing everything they could to divert systems and power to the shields, trying to deflect the cannon fire coming their way while the Leatum's pilot attempted to flee. That was seemingly a losing proposition, the way Martin figured it they had another three to five minutes before the shields went down. Considering the pirate ship continued to gain on them, it would be nothing more than blind, very naïve hope to think they could outrun them now. "Fuck this, I'm going at them," Ricitil said, the ship's turian pilot, clearly realizing the same thing Martin did. "Divert shields to the bow, everything you can manage!" The engineers carried out the order.

Whatever Ricitil had been hoping to accomplish, it had failed. His suit, necessary in case of a hull breach that sucked the air from the ship, was beginning to grow uncomfortable, but any thoughts of removing it and taking his chances left his mind when a hull breach was announced towards the stern. Two dozen of Varius's men rushed by, wearing their armor and helmets as well, along with their weapons. Lucanus stopped along the way, and shouted, "Forget the shields, grab your weapons and join the rest of the security team near the elevator!" Martin opened his mouth to argue, but Po, one of the three human engineers on the ship, grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Alarms were blaring now, automated distress messages playing over the ship wide announcement system. Emergency lighting was the only thing keeping the ship from total darkness.

In front of the elevators, ten more members of Varius's security team were holding their ground, Captain Vulkar with them. He stared intensely in the direction of Martin and the other engineers, nothing but anger and focus evident on his face. "Head to the bridge. If you hear an announcement to get on an escape pod, you fucking do it."

"Sir," Martin said, stopping in front of the turian captain. Clearly Vulkar was in no mood to listen, but Martin didn't care. "Let me stay and help fight."

"Forget it, you're a damn engineer. Join the rest of the geeks and wait."

"Captain, I can shoot as well as anyone on this ship, Varius can attest to that. My friends are down here, and I'm not letting them fight without me."

"Damn it, Shepard, get to the bridge now!" Vulkar shouted, turning his gaze away.

Martin fumed, staring at Vulkar's back, hands balled into fists. In that moment, he made a decision that he hoped wouldn't completely backfire. An assault rifle was leaning up against the wall next to the elevator, its owner unclear since no one was near it. Martin sprinted over, grabbed the weapon, and ran back toward engineering. Vular's furious shouts were drowned out by the ship's alarms as he put distance between himself and his furious, shouting captain.

* * *

The ceremony was small, low-key, the only ones in attendance being Tali, the Admiralty Board, and Xen's son Prayat. The headstone in the cemetery did not include her name. A few nice words were said, the casket was lowered, and Tali herself helped Prayat cover the grave, sealing off Xen's casket. Throughout it all, Prayat stayed remarkably composed. Tali had never met Prayat before, as Xen liked to keep everything about her private life as secret as possible, and she was pleasantly surprised at the well adjusted person Prayat was showing himself to be. "I'd like to say again that I am sorry for your loss," Tali said meekly, unsure of herself. "I don't know if you have anyone to talk to about your loss, but I would like to offer to listen anytime you needed to."

"Thank you, Admiral Shepard," Prayat responded. "I'm fine, really. I know my mother loved me, but we've grown apart over the years. She really did throw everything she was into the geth."

Tali really didn't want to talk about the geth right now. There was no agreement on what action to take with the data they took from the bunker a week earlier. With four people, that was hard to do, but they had managed it. Koris wanted to send diplomats to attempt peace talks. Gerrel wanted to bomb them all immediately. Raan refused to take a side. Tali was supposed to be the one that broke the stalemate, but she thought both ideas were idiotic. She wanted to scout the locations, see what the Geth were doing, but Koris and Gerrel were refusing to be patient. Once the grave was fully covered, Tali again made it clear that she would be willing to listen to Prayat if he ever wanted to talk, and afterwards she was glad to go home.

Shepard had stayed home during the funeral, saying that this was a family matter, and he was not family. Tali disagreed, but understood why he felt that way. Her bondmate was in the backyard, relaxing in a chair and reading a data pad. When she opened the door and walked outside, he put the data pad down and smiled her way. Despite the grim day to that point, Tali smiled back, and she knew Shepard could tell she was smiling despite the visor. "Do you get to stay home?"

"Keelah, I wish," Tali said, plopping down on Shepard's lap and leaning her head on his shoulder. "The admirals are meeting to argue about what to do about the geth in about two hours, and since I'm an admiral, I guess I have to go."

She felt Shepard shrug. "You don't have vacation days to use or something?" Tali laughed. "Not like you would use them anyway. You have honor and a sense of responsibility, for some reason."

Tali was about to leave the house, trying to wait until the last possible second, when the computer in the bedroom began to beep. She pressed the necessary keys. "Oh, Tali," Zaal'Koris said when his image appeared on the monitor. "I figured you would have left already."

"I was just about to. Don't worry, I'm not skipping school," Tali joked. "What can I do for you."

"Actually, we were hoping you could bring Shepard with you."

Tali was immediately suspicious. "Sure, but why?"

"Gerrel and Raan requested his presence, and if we are going to consider combat options, it's a good idea to have him here. If that is okay with you." Koris hastily added that last part, a clear attempt to give Tali the idea she had a choice.

"Sure, we will arrive in thirty minutes," Tali said. Koris nodded and said his goodbyes before ending the call on his end.

* * *

Martin spotted Lucanus, and shouted his name as he ran his way. Varius turned as well, eyes narrowing in anger. "What the fuck are you doing here? Go now, before you get killed!"

"Martin, they'll be coming through that door any second now, get out of here!" Lucanus shouted, echoing his commander's thoughts.

The young human did not listen, crouching behind the makeshift barrier of upturned desks and tables. Varius grabbed his shirt at the shoulder and yanked him to his feet. "I told you to leave, now!" The bodyguard was angrier than Martin had ever seen him, but he did not care in the slightest. "This isn't the gun range, you don't know what you're doing!"

Martin yanked away and resumed position behind the barricade. "Trust me, sir." An explosion ripped through the hull, and when he didn't feel a three-clawed hand yank him away, he assumed Varius had accepted Martin's involvement in the fight. Moments later, another explosion rocked the hangar, on the opposite wall, and pirates began pouring in through the two separate breach points. Martin did not hesitate to aim down the sights of his assault rifle and begin firing at the intruders, picking his targets and unleashing bursts in their direction. He never bothered to check if those he hit were dead, and after about thirty seconds stopped even checking if he had even hit the pirates diving for cover. His concern was shooting at anyone that bothered to expose themselves.

The pirates were a seemingly never ending stream. Martin counted fifteen dead or dying men that he could see, and there were probably more the pirates dragged to cover, but at least that many had followed, with another two or three following every minute, at the latest. Two of Varius's men were dead, blood flowing from wounds to their torsos. Martin's shields had been razed a few times, though they were still up and still strong. He knew he would need to thank his father for making sure he had the best shields before he left on Pilgrimage. Varius called the retreat, telling everyone to fall back to the secondary defense position, and Martin followed the others since he did not know where that was. Three of them stayed behind to plant mines. The secondary position was the mess hall, where the tables used to eat dinner had been used to set up two layers of barricades, one blocking off the path from the hangar and the other about ten yards behind that. Martin had a clear view of the first defensive position, and saw as the pirates set off the mines, shrapnel ripping through two groups of three.

The pirates kept coming for another ten minutes, but much more hesitantly and in lesser numbers with every group that went down. Eventually, they began to back off. Six of Varius's men advanced as the pirates retreated, but when Martin stood to run after the pirates as well, a very strong hand grabbed him and pulled him back to the ground with ease. He looked up to see Piok standing over him. "Enough, Martin, we get it," he said, chuckling. Martin blushed from embarrassment, and nodded.

The aftermath of the battle was decisively one-sided in their favor, yet the mood of the Leutum's crew was somber. They had lost four of their own in the fight, and they were each placed in a body bag before being sealed in caskets. Once the current delivery was completed, they would return them to Palaven, to be given proper services. The dead pirates were treated far less mercifully, tossed out the airlock like slabs of meat. "Let them float around until they burn up from some star or entering a planet's atmosphere," Captain Vulkar said. Dinner was small, no one with enough of an appetite to eat like normal. Lucanus and Piok both offered congratulations to Martin for fighting in his first battle. They told him he did well, way better than anyone expected. Varius had made an offhand comment about taking Martin from engineering to serve on the security team, and no one could tell if he was joking or not. The young human appreciated the compliments, but he did not feel particularly special.

Sleep proved near impossible. Since he had participated in the fight, Captain Vulkar had given him his next shift off, but when Martin tried to sleep all he could see was the battle, the shots ripping through his targets, the screams coming from both the pirates and those around him. He gave up on sleep after waking up from a third nightmare, and lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. All he could think about was who the men and women he had killed were. Did they have families? Why were they pirates? Did they enjoy the killing, the looting? Were they left with no choice but to turn to such a life? Wanting desperately to stop thinking about the battle and the resulting guilt he felt, Martin opened his omnitool, wanting to send a message to his parents. He typed out a quick message, telling them what happened and that he was okay, but before he sent it he decided to delete the entire thing. Instead, he wrote a separate message to his father's personal address, and sent it before he could change his mind again, not even bothering to double check what he said.

Someone near the door to the crew quarter cleared their throat, and when Martin saw it was Varius, he immediately got out of bed. "Hello, sir," he greeted, though the "sir" was unnecessary. Varius was not really his superior in any way.

"Calm down, I'm not your boss," Varius said. "I just wanted to say that you did a hell of a job today. I'm not going to apologize for trying to drag you out of there, you are an engineer and I would do the same thing every time, but you did a good job. Hell, just surviving is something that not everyone can manage in a firefight, and you managed to do that while taking a few of those bastards with you."

Martin smiled briefly, the best he could manage in his current emotional state. "Thank you sir. My friends were fighting, I can fight, I just couldn't stay away. I promise, I won't force myself into a fight ever again."

"You won't have to. If pirates attack this ship, you officially have permission to join the fight."

Martin smiled a little wider this time. "Thank you."

Varius nodded. "Of course. Captain Vulkar wants to see you as well, he said to go up to the bridge as soon as you can."

* * *

Shepard was checking for new messages, expecting to hear from Ashley about a mission she had been on in the Traverse, when the new message alert flashed before him. He saw it was from Martin, and was about to tell Tali until he read the first line.

_Hey Dad. If you don't mind, can you not tell Tali what I'm about to tell you? Sorry if that's a weird way to start this off, but I figured she might be with you when you read this, and you would tell her I wrote you. She'll just freak out, and I don't want you to have to deal with that. I also don't want her sending me five messages a day like she was until a month ago._

_My ship got attacked by pirates, I'm okay don't worry! I ended up volunteering to help fight them off, and saw some combat. This is weird to write to you about, I hope you aren't freaking out. Anyways, we fought them off, and lost three guys. My friends are okay, and I'm okay, didn't get a scratch on me. I just, I don't know. I can't sleep now, every time I close my eyes I see the people I killed. I gave up, but sitting here awake now I can't stop thinking about those same people, who they were, how they ended up as criminals, whether they had families that cared about them. What was it like for you after your first battle? Did you think about it a lot? Did you have a hard time with it? I guess that's why I sent you this message, I was just wondering if its normal to feel this way._

_Anyway, let me say again that I'm fine, and I'm sure I'll get over it once I get back to work. That probably would help right now, but Captain Vulkar is giving my a shift off. Write back when you can, let me know how things are going with you guys. Did you find Xen and the Geth yet? I'm sure I'm way behind on that news. Love you both, talk to you soon._

Shepard's first reaction was to completely freak out. Finding out that your son was in a firefight is one situation where he figured he should be allowed to freak out. If the fight was over though, there was no point. Martin said he was okay, and Shepard believed him. He began writing a message back, when Tali asked, "Who are you writing to?"

"My girlfriend," Shepard joked. Tali laughed. "That's not usually the reaction someone gives if their partner tells them they have a girlfriend. I'm not sure who should be more offended."

"Please, if I had anything to worry about, it would have been years ago. You're stuck with me now." When she didn't ask who the message was from again, Shepard considered the joke successful.

The Admiralty was completely on edge when Shepard and Tali entered the situation room, all of them crowded around a display of a map against one wall. Only Raan turned to look at them when they entered. "Thank you for coming, both of you."

"Of course, Aunt Raan," Tali said. "Though I don't understand why you wanted Shepard here."

"His input is valuable, and hopefully he can persuade either Gerrel or Koris to decide on a course to take. We cannot continue to wait for the Geth to make the first move."

"Then let's review what we know, and figure out what our best options are," Shepard said.

An hour later, mainly consisting of Tali and Koris describing what they had been able to decipher from the information taken from the bunker, Shepard wanted to punch the admirals for fighting for so long over something so simple. "How have you not sent anyone to at least scout these areas?" he asked incredulously. "That should have been done immediately."

"I did not want to risk the lives of whoever we might send, and Koris thought that if the geth found the scouts, attempts at peace would be impossible."

"And none of them listened to a word I said about sending scouts," Tali chimed in.

Shepard shook his head. "The very first thing you should always do when faced with the unknown is to find out everything you can. How the hell else are you going to find out if there are actually any geth at these locations? How do you know they haven't moved on, gathered in one or only a few of these places? How are you going to send diplomats to attempt peace talks if you don't even know where to send them? This is elementary stuff, here, the basics of the basics."

"You're right, Shepard. We'll do so immediately," Raan said. "What would you suggest besides sending scouts?"

"Nothing," Shepard said. "I can't give you anything resembling sound advice when I'm completely uninformed. None of you should be making any plans without the proper information either. Send the scouts, and we'll see from there."

Twenty scouting teams consisting of four quarians were sent out later that day, and five days passed before they all returned. The Admiralty Board met that same day. The scouts had found no trace of any geth in all but ten of the locations on Xen had given them, and a very large geth presence in those ten locations. At least fifty geth were seen in the vicinity of each, ranging from more bunkers to abandoned neighborhoods and military bases to factories and power stations. The scouts were also very, very certain that there were more geth they had not seen, within the buildings the geth were protecting. The geth themselves seemed no more advanced than any they had seen before, but there was an unexpected variety in models. Normal troopers, shock troopers, Juggernauts, Hunters, even a few Armatures and one Colossus at a military base.

Gerrel reacted violently to this, of course. He began shouting and raving that extreme measures needed to be taken immediately. Koris began shouting back that this would provoke war. Raan again took neither side. Shepard found he couldn't either. There was no denying the threat that a Geth army posed to Rannoch's safety. If they marched, with numbers in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands, that would be enough to lead to serious damage and loss of life. They should be able to fight the Geth off, but it was no certainty. However, every scouting team was insistent that the Geth were not preparing for war. There were clear actions an army would take before marching out, preparation that needed to be completed, even for geth, and every single scouting team was insistent they had seen nothing of the sort. If there was an obvious action to take, Shepard could not see it. He was beginning to understand why the Admiralty Board had been arguing for two weeks now about what to do.

The knock on the door was unexpected and unwelcome. Gerrel shouted for the person to leave, but the person that had knocked was insistent that he needed to talk to them. Tali went and opened the door, a quarian marine walking inside immediately. "We are very busy, Kili'Jorah. Speak quickly and leave."

"Apologies, admirals, but there are geth two miles outside the city and advancing," Kili said. Shepard remembered her from the fight in Xen's bunker, where she had lost her entire squad.

Everyone in the room except for Shepard jumped. "What!? When was this!?" Raan asked, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Ten minutes ago. I ran here immediately."

"Keelah, we need to ready the troops," Koris said, funny after all his talk of peace. "How fast can we raise shields around the city?"

"What the hell would be the point of that!?" Gerrel shouted. "Those shields stop gunfire, it won't stop them from walking into the city! Get the troops ready, get the shuttles ready as well. We can thin their numbers before they even reach us!"

Tali was the first to ask the obvious question. "How many of them are there?"

"Fifteen. Ten are armed, the other five appear not to have weapons." Kili'Jorah told them.

Tali nodded. "Thank you. Have the defenders on the outskirts ready, do not advance unless hostile intentions become clear." She turned to face the other admirals. "You were all willing to raze the soil over fifteen geth. Keelah."

None of the admirals responded. "We should go meet them," Shepard said. "If they were attacking, there would be a hell of a lot more than fifteen, and every single one would be armed. This seems like an envoy of some kind. I volunteer."

"Me too," Tali said. Of course, Shepard thought, not bothering to hide his closed-mouth smile towards his bondmate. "We should all go, the entire Admiralty Board."

"Are you crazy, what if they turn violent? They can kill us all in one maneuver," Gerrel said, ever the soldier.

"Keelah, Gerrel, get over it," Koris said, regaining his composure. "I'm willing to go as well. We must establish respect between the two sides."

Raan nodded. "I'll go as well."

Gerrel knew he had to join them, or appear a coward. "I'm bringing my weapon anyway."

"Shepard, Tali, we'll leave the talking to you. Clearly you are the only ones with a clear head right now," Raan said. "Let's hurry and meet them before they reach the city."

* * *

They met the group of fifteen geth, with only ten armed, exactly as described, half a mile outside Tikdara, on a long, flat field with tall grass coming up past their knees. The geth stopped twenty yards away, and two of the unarmed units continued walking. The Admiralty Board moved to join them, telling the escort of fifteen armed quarian marines behind them to keep their distance as well. Years had passed since Tali had felt so nervous. She suddenly regretted not bringing at least a pistol. Shepard had insisted that they let the geth make the first move or speak the first words or do whatever it was they had come to do. One of the geth stepped to within ten feet. "Creator Zorah. Shepard Commander." The speech somehow didn't surprise Tali like it should have. "We would like to thank you for meeting us peacefully."

"You could have made your intentions clearer," Tali said. "We did not know your intentions."

"We have no way of knowing how to contact you. Consensus was reached that a small group, not fully armed, would provide the best chance for peace."

"So you desire peace?"

"Yes. We would like to avoid a conflict that threatens the well being of either the geth or the creators."

"Then why did you kill Daro'Xen and the quarians with her?" Tali asked, with more hostility than she intended.

"Creator Xen attempted to deactivate us when we again gained awareness. We could not allow this to happen."

The same mistake as before, Tali thought sadly. "So what happens now that Xen is gone?"

"We would attempt peace between geth and the creators."

Gerrel snorted, and Tali saw Shepard shoot a withering glare his way. "You understand we are skeptical," Tali said.

"Yes. We have an offer that hopefully makes clear our true intentions for peace. We have spent seven days, two hours, and thirteen minutes restoring power stations around Rannoch. We have also restored three military bases, all available for immediate use. It is our hope that the creators can make use of these facilities immediately. We ask in return that we be allowed to inhabit the northern continent, and two separate island chains we have marked on a map for you to take back and study."

One of the other unarmed geth came forward and handed a data pad to Shepard. On it was a map of Rannoch, with the two aforementioned island chains marked in red. "Before we discuss peace terms, I have questions," Shepard said.

* * *

**Kind of cliffhanger there. Basically everyone that comments has said that they hoped for peace, and there will be peace. At least between the quarians and geth, anyway. **


	20. Chapter 20

**I probably didn't take the time to edit that I should have, so if the grammar and mistakes are really bad, let me know.**

* * *

Shepard still didn't understand. He had listened intently to every word, asked for clarification, even had Tali and Koris explain it to him afterwards. He only felt stupider afterwards. The Geth sharing a consciousness was the part he knew, even if he didn't fully understand. Everything after that had been techno babble that no one that wasn't a geth could ever truly understand. Tali and Koris had tried their hardest. The Reaper code uploaded to all the Geth had become an integral part of their programming, and could be found in everything from their basic functions to their most complex data memories. When the Crucible fired, that Reaper code was why they were deactivated, which Shepard had thought to be the case all along, even if he could never understand the technicality behind it. Xen managed to erase that Reaper code when she reactivated the Geth, which he also knew. Since the Reaper code had been so integral to their intelligence and self-awareness, when the Geth were reactivated all of the memories they once had were corrupted, leaving them in their most basic of states of which they had not been in since before they were AI. Over time, they managed to eliminate that corruption, little by little, memory by memory, and remember their own history. Unfortunately, Xen saw this and attempted to deactivate them, which led to their current circumstances.

"So do you remember everything that happened before the Crucible?" Shepard had asked.

"No," the geth that spoke had said. "We remember much of our history. We remember the Morning War, our time behind the Perseus Veil, the schism caused by the Old Machines and Shepard-Commander's assistance with the heretic problem. We remember the war with the Creators for Rannoch, but not how it ended. We have faint memories of the Crucible's wave and of the moment the Reaper code gave Geth full sentience, but they are still corrupted. We continue to work to restore these memories, but we cannot be sure they are not connected to the Reaper code themselves, and impossible to restore."

"So you do not remember helping us fight the Reapers here on Rannoch?" Tali asked. She had sounded sad when she asked.

"No."

From there had been the techno babble of how Xen had restored them and what ways the Quarians may be able to help restore their memories, but a suggestion to try and restore the Reaper code had been violently shot down by the Geth. Shepard still wasn't sure how all of this was possible, but the Geth had promised that they held no intentions of war, and would be able to coexist with the Quarians as long as the Quarians were willing to coexist as well. They had gone their separate ways, with future plans to meet and discuss in further detail conditions of their peace.

Shepard was interrupted from his deep thought by Tali's giggle, and found he was glad she had interrupted him. His head was beginning to ache fiercely. "Not that I think we should just accept this without wondering what exactly happened, but there's no need to drive yourself crazy over it," she told him, sitting next to him on the couch in their living room. "Believe me, I've already given myself a massive headache doing what you are doing."

"You're right," Shepard said. "I can't help it though, you know that. I just don't understand."

"None of us do. I'm not even sure the Geth do. We have what's left of our scientists, the ones Xen didn't take with her, trying to figure it out. We'll have to go from there. The good news is that the Geth seem to truly want peace, and are back to what they were before the war for Rannoch."

"Except you aren't trying to kill them anymore." Shepard said.

"Yes, except we aren't trying to kill them anymore," Tali agreed.

That night was the first in weeks where Shepard and Tali were able to relax, with no immediate concerns at the forefront of their minds. Shepard cooked dinner for both of them, each getting a steak they could eat and vegetables to go with it, and they sat at their dinner table with bottles of wine to wash the food down with. After dinner, Tali brought their dishes to the sink while Shepard found a movie to watch. They snuggled up on the couch together, Shepard lightly brushing his fingers up and down Tali's arm while she did the same with her fingers along his arm. The weariness of the day overtook them, and they went to bed, Shepard watching as Tali removed her suit and visor, the same joyful sigh of freedom she always sighed escaping her lips. He only slept for an hour before Tali woke him up with kisses, and the two made love. Afterwards, Tali fell asleep while embracing him, and for the first time in weeks Shepard felt completely relaxed, allowing himself to fall back asleep as well.

* * *

Palaven was beginning to grow on Martin, even if he was still incapable of enjoying the Turian homeworld to the extent most of his crewmates could. He knew all the best bars, all the best clubs, where other humans on Palaven went. He bought some dextro chocolate to send to Yala, and a gold necklace for her as well. Jewelry was something that quarians were still getting used to wearing, after spending so many years of it being a personal luxury they considered taboo. Yala liked jewelry that was easy to wear under her suit, like necklaces and bracelets. The jewelry shop he got the necklace from came highly recommended by Ricitil, a recommendation that Garrus seconded when Martin asked him. Trips to Palaven were beginning to suck up most of his pay, which he understood was probably the point since a percentage went to the Hierarchy and Harome was a company closely involved with the Hierarchy, but Martin didn't care. If he couldn't spoil himself and his girlfriend with his credits, then what was the point of having those credits to begin with?

"This is a real hush-hush delivery," Piok said. He was standing with Martin, watching as a loading crew placed their latest cargo on the Leatum.

"What is it?" Martin asked.

The krogan shrugged. "Don't know. Don't think anyone knows, not even the Captain. From what Juliun was telling me last night, this is more an official delivery than a sell job. The Hierarchy is sending twenty special ops soldiers with us, officially to protect the goods from pirates, unofficially to make sure none of us ever get curious and see, and maybe take a few goods for ourselves."

"I'm reluctant to believe anything you and Juliun tell people when you're drunk," Martin jested.

Piok's laughter was a roar, as always. "The best and truest stories are told among friends drinking, my friend." As if on cue, an extremely serious group of fifteen turians, armed and armored in a fashion that left no doubt they were military, strode towards the Leatum. The one leading them, face paint the same dark blue that Garrus wore, though it wasn't Garrus he was seeing, pointed at five of the others, and those five stayed behind to observe the loading crew while the others walked onto the ship. "I told you," Piok gloated.

Martin scoffed. "I only saw fifteen turians, not twenty."

* * *

The soldiers were rarely seen around the ship, outside of glimpses when a few would retrieve meals for them all. They never left the hangar bay, the only ones allowed there besides absolutely essential crew. They slept there, ate there, never leaving unless necessary. Whatever the Leatum was transporting, it was definitely serious. Rumors ran rampant through the ship, everyone with their own theory. Some thought the cargo was some secret new weapon, some thought it was armor. Some thought it was the components to a bomb, and the Leatum was carrying out some unofficial mission for the Hierarchy. No one would say who it came from, but there was even a crazy rumor that they were smuggling people, and that's why no one was allowed in the hangar bay. When someone told them that crew were allowed in, they had to be allowed in to do their jobs, that ended that rumor quickly.

Martin had refrained from such rumors himself. It was military technology, obviously, whether that was weapons or armor or shields or mods, it didn't matter and was none of their business. Piok was always passing on the latest rumors, even when Martin and Lucanus didn't want to hear them. When they asked him to please leave them out of it, he would agree, and come back an hour later with more rumors. Martin couldn't really blame him. The turian soldiers were doing the job that Varius and his security team were supposed to be doing, which left the security team with a lot of spare time and no way to pass it besides pestering everyone else.

When they docked at the Turian colony of Pheiros, situated on an asteroid in orbit around the gas giant Gemmae, a third of their cargo was unloaded, along with four of the Turian soldiers. Their next stop was Taetrus, where another third of the cargo and another five turians left the ship. Their final stop was Thracia, and their they were scheduled to stay for two days while the last of the cargo and soldiers found their way to a military base and more cargo was to be loaded onto the Leatum. Thracia did not have nearly the levo consideration that other Turian colonies did, let alone Palaven, so Martin was allowed to bring his own food and drink into the establishments his friends dragged him to, under the condition that he pay a portion of the bill his friends ran up. Not the best deal, but it was preferable to being stuck on the Leatum while everyone else had fun.

Piok was well drunk on their first night ashore, telling a story of fighting Reapers on Tuchanka that Martin heard at least a dozen times now. Martin wasn't a heavy drinker, and stopped once he began to develop a buzz. Unfortunately, no one else was showing that same restraint, and within an hour the crew of the Leatum was being forced to leave the bar, physically in the case of three of the krogans. "We don't need your stupid fucking bar!" Lucanus shouted, a mean drunk as always. "Come on, let's go buy some good stuff and head back to the ship," he said.

"Good stuff? I'm beginning to think turians don't know the meaning of a hard drink," Piok taunted. "We need some Ryncol, at least to start with."

"Damn straight!" Wynt, another krogan, said. He was one of the more common companions when the trio went out drinking, and of course he was there that night.

The group began to stumble down the street together, Martin just doing his best not to get trampled beneath the much larger people around him. That proved harder to avoid than he expected since everyone else was stumbling around and barely on their feet. Eventually he let himself drift behind the rest of the crowd. There was a discussion about where to go and get some alcohol when all of their omnitools began to beep, an alert system when the captain wanted the crew to return to the ship. Captain Vulkar must have suspected his crew would not be of sound mind, as the beeping was far louder than normal, piercing Martin's eardrums, making him cover them as best he could. It was worse for the drunks around him, as they began to howl at the sound, a few falling over and cursing the harsh ringing sound. Once their wits were slightly more about them, they began hurrying back to the Leatum, or hurrying the best they could anyway.

They sobered quickly upon arriving. Turian police were outside the ship, along with four ambulances. Bodies inside white body bags were being carried out and placed in the backs of the ambulances. The police ignored their questions into what happened, and eventually forced them to stay twenty feet away from the ship, threatening to shoot if they came any closer. Captain Vulkar exited the ship, flanked by two police officers, and immediately walked their way. "Captain, what happened?" Martin asked, his voice desperate and uneasy. "They won't tell us anything."

Vulkar's eyes were clouded with fear, his mouth twisted into a frown. Martin had never seen anything like it on his captain's face. "Someone attacked the ship. I don't have the slightest idea who. They took the cargo, killed the soldiers the Hierarchy sent to protect it, and got away before I could get even the slightest clue as to who the hell they were. Damn it!" he yelled, punching a wall nearby and grabbing his hand afterwards. "This is bad. Very bad. The Hierarchy is going to throw us in prison and break us."

Martin didn't understand at all, but looking at the others, they all had the same frightened expression as the captain. "Why? We didn't do anything."

"That doesn't matter. The entire crew knew this delivery was important. The Hierarchy will assume we were either incompetent, or in on it. Either way we're fucked."

The police took all of the surviving crew into custody, and Lucanus immediately noticed that Varius and five of his team were not there. He asked Piok if they had been on the ship, and he said, "No, they were with us at the bar for about ten minutes, and left after a drink. They might have been among the dead on the ship."

Martin was the tenth member of the crew the detectives brought from the cell to interrogate. He was led down a set of stairs and through a door to a small square room, a single light in the ceiling shining down on a chair in the middle of the room. The room was pitch black and featureless otherwise. The faint shimmer of glass to his left told Martin there was a one way mirror in the room as well, where others would be watching. Once he was restrained to the chair, the police that escorted him to the room left. Beads of sweat ran down Martin's face. What could he tell them? Would they believe him? Why did they arrest everyone? Captain Vulkar's dire words ran through his head. They were going to throw them in prison and break them. He began to wonder about Varius's absence. Had the Turian bodyguard been responsible for what happened?

When the door ahead finally opened, offering an all too brief glimpse of light from the hallway, it was not police that walked inside. They were definitely military, wearing heavy armor, assault rifles slung over their backs and pistols in holsters at their hips. Both approached within inches of Martin, glaring down at him. One cracked his knuckles, while the other stood motionless, but both were trying their hardest to melt Martin with their eyes, hoping he would just confess to everything he knew. If Martin knew anything, he would have offered it. "Name."

"Huh?"

"What's your damned name?"

"Shepard. Martin Shepard."

"What's your responsibility on the ship? Are you security?"

"No, an engineer." Martin shifted as much as he could in his chair.

"Did you see anything?"

"When?"

A fist split his lip. "Don't play fucking dumb. Where were you when the Leatum was attacked."

"With my friends, out drinking," Martin said, not losing his composure. Captain Vulkar had warned him about this.

"It's a little convenient that all of you were out drinking when the ship was attacked," the one that had stayed quiet so far insinuated. "Whose idea was it to leave the ship that night?"

Martin answered every question to the best of his ability. Leaving was no one's idea, they just went out together for some drinks, like normal. Their omnitools had an alert feature the captain could use to call them back at any time, that's how he got a hold of them. He had no idea who stayed behind. Varius and five others he didn't know by name were missing. He had no idea what the cargo was. He had never been in the hangar bay with the cargo. They asked him every question at least two times, and some as many as five. When they were done, he was taken from the room, led down another set of stairs, had his omnitool and other personal possessions taken from him, and was pushed into a dark jail cell that smelled of urine. The soldiers left without another word.

* * *

"Didn't I tell you?" Tali asked angrily, eying the mob in front of the capital building. Her hands were balled into fists. "Keelah, it makes me wonder why I bother."

"Because you love your people," Shepard said. "They'll calm down once they know this peace is real. I promise."

Tali scoffed. "We'll see."

The protests had begun the day the situation with the Geth was made public. As with most protests, they had begun in small numbers. As the details of what happened with Xen and the researchers reached more people, the crowds grew. Now, a week and a half after the Admiralty Board met with the Geth envoy and made the peace between the two sides, the crowds numbered in the hundreds, carrying signs and chanting hate slogans. Shepard couldn't blame his bondmate or the rest of the Admiralty Board for their frustration. He had agreed with them that being honest and transparent with the civilians was the right move, but now he wasn't so sure. The slightest spark and these same crowds may take up arms and force another war with the Geth.

The insults rained down on them as they walked to the front door, all directed at Tali. Shouts of _weakling, traitor, _and _machine sympathizer _were just the nice ones. Many of them were shouted in Khelish, and they seemed to affect Tali the most. Once inside the building, Tali began to shake. Shepard pulled her into an embrace, but that did little to calm her, and she quickly pulled away and continued to the elevator ahead. The rest of the Admiralty Board was already there, and snapped their heads in their direction when they walked through the door. "Shepard, um, we were actually hoping you could wait outside," Gerrel said.

Shepard noticed the angry stare Tali gave the admiral. "Why? What could we possibly talk about that he does not already know?"

Shepard gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, I'll wait outside." Tali seemed like she was about to protest, but he left before she could. There was enough tension out there, no need for it to spread to the Admiralty Board as well. He took a seat in a chair outside, nodding respectfully at the few people that walked by him. The past few days had been terrible. The protests had been expected, and at first were tame enough to be ignored. With every passing day though, they became more and more hostile. Two days earlier, one group of protestors had gotten physical with a group of marines, which had led to minor injuries on both sides. Yesterday, the group outside the capital building had thrown eggs at the walls, and someone threw a rock through a first floor window. Since then, the Admiralty had only left their conference room to sleep. Otherwise, they had been locked inside, trying to figure out a way to calm the growing outrage.

Even on the second floor, the shouts could be heard. Shepard wished he was a better politician. The best solutions he could come up with to deal with the crowds involved hurting them. Why were they so angry? They had gotten along with the Geth before. What was different now? The shouts from outside were soon drowned out by the shouting coming from the admirals. Tali's voice was distinctive among them, though he could not understand what she was saying. Pulling up the display on is omnitool, Shepard began reading through recent news around the galaxy, just trying to pass time.

* * *

In the dark, with no window to allow him a glimpse outside, and no way to know what time of day it was, Martin's only way of keeping time was by the meals he received. If he had counted correctly, this was breakfast on his fourth day in the cell. The meals were surprisingly good, though he had no other stints in a prison to compare it to. At the very least, the meals compared favorably to some of the food he had eaten in the mess halls of the Leatum and the Voyage. Breakfast that morning was scrambled eggs and black toast, with a carton of milk that likely would have been undrinkable the next day, but was still good that morning. Martin had not yet finished his meal when a loud knock on the cell door echoed through the tiny room, and a voice told him to walk over to the door and face away. Through a slit in the middle of the door where his meals were given, a pair of hands cuffed him, and when the door opened a soldier was standing there.

The bright light of the hall hurt Martin's eyes after days in blackness, but the pain was worth it after so long being unable to see. He wondered how many of his friends and crewmates were inside the cells lining the hallway to either side of him. Roughly, the soldier pushed him along, stopping at a door past the stairwell. Martin was held in place while the soldier opened the door with a security card, and shoved past the threshold. The room was no bigger than his cell, but it was brightly lit, with a small table in the middle of the room. Two chairs were set up opposite each other at the table, and one of them was occupied by a familiar and very friendly sight. "Garrus!" Martin shouted, both shocked and jubilant.

The turian smiled at him. "How you doing, kid?" Garrus looked at the soldier, and frowned. "I told you it wasn't necessary to handcuff him, and I know I told you not to treat him roughly."

The soldier shrugged. "Sorry, sir." He removed the handcuffs and left.

Martin was still taking in the shock of the entire situation. Even after three days in a cell, he had not come to grips with what happened anymore than the moment he saw the body bags being loaded into the ambulances. "Garrus, what the hell is happening? Why did we all get arrested?"

The old turian grimaced. "You had some very important cargo get stolen from you, kid. Turian Special Ops soldiers are dead, the cargo is gone, and Varius Harkan is gone, along with five other members of his security team. The Primarch doesn't believe for a moment that those six people were the only ones that knew about the plan to rob the Leatum, especially since the only casualties were the soldiers sent to protect the cargo. Everyone else was off the ship."

"Garrus, I swear, I had no idea," Martin said, voice cracking from desperation and disuse.

"I know, Martin, don't worry," Garrus assured him. "It took all the goodwill I've accumulated over the past two decades, but I convinced the Primarch and the other generals that there was no way you were involved. After questioning you all, they're suspect list is down to maybe four of you that may have been involved anyway. I just needed to hear it from your lips myself."

Martin leaned forward. "Garrus, I promise, on my parents' lives, I was not involved. Please, I'll do whatever I need me to, whatever it takes to convince you and the rest of the Hierarchy that I'm innocent."

Garrus's smile disappeared, and Martin's worry grew. Did Garrus not believe him? "Well, that's good, because the Primarch has already decided how he wants you all to prove your innocence."

* * *

**Aw snap. Stuff going down now. :o**


	21. Chapter 21

There was a point where a person could not stand being in a room any longer, a point where they would prefer being in any place other than wherever they were at that moment, and Martin had reached that point two days earlier. It was understandable why he and his fellow crew-mates from the _Leatum_ were restricted to their quarters, the Turian soldiers had no reason to trust them, but it didn't make being in the same room for every hour of every day any more bearable. At least they had been given their omnitools back. They were not allowed to send messages, their omnitools somehow restricted from doing so, but they were allowed to use the extranet, and Martin found himself occupying his days by visiting every stupid site he could find. He found conspiracy sites claiming the Reapers were a hoax by galactic militaries to increase their funding, he found a site dedicated to the number thirteen, he found a forum to discuss some strange new sport gaining popularity on Earth. When the officers came for them on the fifth day, Martin was sure his IQ had dropped at least ten points, maybe as much as thirty.

"We're not an army," Martin had told Garrus after his father's friend had explained what the Hierarchy wanted the_ Leatum's_ crew to do. "What the hell are the pilot and engineers and cooks supposed to do? They can't fight."

"The turians in the crew can fight, it doesn't matter what they are doing now," Garrus said with certainty. "Anyone that cannot fight will remain in a cell until this is done." Martin opened his mouth to protest, but Garrus raised a hand. "I trust you, Martin, because I know you, and I know your father. I'm inclined to believe your friends were not involved either because you would know if they were involved. Everyone else is guilty until proven innocent, and they will only prove themselves innocent if they do what we say."

There was nothing Martin could say to that. "I'm pretty sure the other engineers weren't involved," he chimed in. "I worked for hours on end with those men, and never caught the slightest hint of them being in on this."

"I'm sorry, Martin, but anyone not willing to participate in this mission is staying in a cell, and will be investigated fully. That includes you."

Martin was left with no choice but to agree. The mission itself was straightforward in theory. Located the stolen cargo, send in a team to secure it, and eliminate any hostile presence on site. Of course, the problem was the _Leatum's_ crew was no army, and the identity of the thieves was unknown, let alone how many they were. When Martin asked why they were being sent, why the Hierarchy wasn't sending in their own team, Garrus was frustratingly vague. All he would say was that this cargo was top secret, and that the number of people who knew about it needed to stay as limited as possible. Since most of the Leatum's crew were turians, and every turian served in the military at some point, they claimed to have full faith in their ability to handle this.

Not that it was all up to Martin and his crewmates. On board the _Adrien Jorillus_ were more turian special ops soldiers, two _squads_ of five, led by the officers that finally came to tell them the cargo had been located, and the mission would begin in five hours. Lietunenants Hirillius and Varintus were hard men whose only words were the orders they barked, something Martin was quickly learning applied to the vast majority of turian soldiers. Hirillius told the assembled crew of the _Leatum_ to follow him to the armory. Soldiers lined the hall, all standing straight with their heads held high, looking straight ahead. Hirillius and Varintus strode past the soldiers, the others doing the same. The armory was its own room aboard the ship, with enough arms and armor for the crew to fight a war themselves. Armor lined the walls to the left, all of it naturally designed for turians. The weapons were of various make and model, pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, light machine guns Martin had never seen before, at least twelve types of grenades, anything a soldier could possibly need to kill anything.

None of the armor fit Martin's body type, so his own set assigned to him on the _Leatum_, confiscated with everything else on the ship, was returned to him. They were given their pick of the weapons, and he decided on a sniper rifle and a pistol, with five incendiary grenades on his belt. Thermal clips to hopefully last him through the battle were placed on his belt as well. The lieutenants watched as Martin and his crewmates armed themselves, and once they were done the lieutenants led them to the hangar bay, where they were told to stay and wait until they reached their destination. Martin watched the orderly urgency with which the ship's crew moved around the hangar bay, preparing for the coming mission. "This is all kinds of fucked up," Piok managed to whisper. It almost shocked Martin to hear the krogan whisper, he was so used to hearing him bellow every word he spoke. Piok had begun to crack his knuckles, shake his arms, stretch his legs, all the nervous movements he always had before combat.

"We just need to do our jobs and keep our mouths shut," Lucanus said. He was icily calm, as always. "Stay alive, secure the cargo, and they'll let us go."

"You really believe that?" Piok asked.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because these same people had us all locked in cells a week ago, feeding us rotten leftovers. And they're turians."

Lucanus bristled at the insult. "So am I. These men are military. Turian soldiers are good for their word, unlike anyone else in this damn galaxy."

"They're such good men they unleashed the Genophage on my people because they couldn't win a fair fight."

"Both of you, shut up!" Martin whispered harshly. "I don't know why you're choosing right now to have a problem with the fact the other is a krogan or turian, but it's awful timing." Both his friends quieted, looking away in random directions. "We have no choice, no matter what you think their intentions are, we have to go down there if we don't want to get shot here and now. So stop whining and complaining and get ready to fight."

* * *

Tali had been awake for more than an hour, but she didn't want to move. She wanted to enjoy laying exactly how she was for as long as she possibly could, cuddling up against Shepard with her head resting on her chest. The sooner she got up, the sooner she would have to take a shower, put on her suit, eat breakfast, and leave the comfort of her home for the stupid bickering involved with being an Admiral. Laying in bed with the man she loved was far preferable to all that. She was nothing if not dutiful, however, whether it was duty as an Admiral or duty to those she loved, so when it was time she gently removed herself from the comforting warmth of Shepard's body and got out of bed.

Both crowds were in front of the capital building as they had been for three days now. At first, Tali had smiled with pride for her people when she the crowd gathering to support peace with the Geth. How anyone could want another war with them, she could not understand, and when the peace crowd matched the numbers of the warmongers, she had been happy about it. Three days and two violent clashes between the groups later, she felt the same scorn and shame towards both groups. The loud chants began by both sides as she walked by, both mobs pushing against the marines holding them back. Tali knew it was only a matter of time before this got out of hand and one of the Admiralty was assaulted. The focus of the meeting that day was to prevent that from happening. A chosen representative from the anti-Geth movement was meeting with the admirals to voice the group's concerns, hopefully allowing them to reach an understanding. The only understanding Tali wanted to give the bosh'tet was the understanding that she would kick this bosh'tet's teeth in if he didn't make his people disperse and stop risking all their lives. How did they not understand that any wrong move, any act of hostility towards the geth, and they would have a war on their hands just the same as the one that led to their exile in the first place? It was enough to make her scream.

Hana'Klitschk strode into the conference room five minutes late, a smugness around her that choked the air and made Tali sick. Hana took a seat at one end of the table, folding her hands together on the table in front of her. Pleasantries were exchanged, and Hana made her case. "They've already turned on Admiral Xen. They killed her and all those innocent people with her. Everything in their history suggests they not only are incapable of not fighting, they will actively seek a fight out. At the very least we cannot let them continue to be welcome on Rannoch."

"Hana'Klitschk, you may not understand the geth the way we all do," Koris said. Stupid way to start, Tali thought, to basically tell the woman she is stupid. "They only fought us in the past because we did not try to coexist. We got along with them before, and there were no complaints. What has changed?"

"The Crucible fired, that's what changed," Hana replied. "As evil as everything concerning the Reapers may have been, the Reaper code that gave the Geth full sentience was the only reason we were able to get along. Without that programming, they are once again the cold, violent machines that drove us from Rannoch before. We have fought so hard, sacrificed so much, and to allow exile to be thrust upon us again is a mistake we cannot allow."

"Hana," Tali jumped in, somehow managing to stay calm. "You are misinformed. We have spoken to these geth, learned the history that our own people forgot. The Geth are capable of great violence, that much I do not disagree with. But the circumstances were those where any species in the galaxy would have done the same in their position. They drove us off Rannoch because we were trying to extinguish their newfound life. They defended themselves. Can you say you would not do the same in their position? Is peace, and the benefits from that peace, not preferable?"

"And what of the vast number of casualties they inflicted while 'defending themselves?' What of their hostility towards all organic life afterwards? What is their excuse then?" Tali decided to wait for Hana to finish rather than answer. "I cannot trust these machines to leave us be and neither can those innocent people outside this building, who want nothing more than to know they can sleep at night without fear of a cold death coming for them."

"That same death would come for many of us if we started a war," Raan argued. As if that wasn't obvious. Maybe it wasn't to this bitch.

"Over ten million of us are combat ready. At most, the number of geth is in the hundreds, they would not have had time to build their numbers up larger than that. Better to suffer casualties now and keep our homeworld than suffer worse in the future and lose it." Hana leaned forward. "If we continue to fight among ourselves over this, it will only fracture the Quarian people, leaving us weak for the Geth. I can guarantee you we will not back down. So unless you want to face the Geth as a splintered, unsure people, assuring we lose, you have to come to our side. We will try to save ourselves from these machines, whether you approve or not. With your support, and a united Quarian people, we can succeed."

Tali left that afternoon in a panic. Hana'Klitschk's threats had worked. The Admiralty Board was now considering military action against the Geth. The past decade, the life she had built on her homeworld, all flashed before her eyes. She may lose it all. She had yelled, screamed, made threats of her own, but she was one woman, and her threats were not as serious as what Hana had said. Tears formed in her eyes as she hurried to her car, the shouts from the crowds outside little more than static to her hearing. She just wanted to go home, not knowing how much longer that would be her home.

* * *

Helplessness was not something John Shepard was used to feeling. No matter the problem, there was always a solution. He told Tali just that when she stormed into their house, struggling to tell of all that had happened that day. After she had finished, emotionally exhausted, he had held her on the couch, waited until she had fallen asleep, and went on a walk to clear his own troubled mind. It was hard to believe that this was all happening. It was beyond his comprehension. Hadn't the peace with the Geth been good news? What exactly had happened? So many of these same people had been so eager for peace before. Thirty minutes since he left the house, and he was no closer to understanding than before.

Naturally, his path led him further into Tikdara, near the heart of the city where the skyscrapers stood tall, blocking the descending sun. It kept the day chilly, and Shepard soon found that he wished he brought a jacket. The streets were crowded with vehicles leaving downtown to go home, with only a few going into the city proper, but the sidewalks were almost entirely unoccupied besides Shepard. He had seen four others walking, all of them nodding sheepishly and offering awestruck greetings. It amazed Shepard that after so long, he still had that effect on others. Its not like none of these people knew him. He had lived with Tali in their house at Tikdara for so many years now, it had been about a decade but felt like longer. He was a friendly man who did not avoid the public. Yet still he was treated like some heroic myth that couldn't possibly be real, and when someone saw him it was like the hero from some novel come to life. Sometimes it was a little much when someone would get tongue-tied to the point they couldn't even talk to him, or when others avoided him because they didn't want Shepard to disapprove of them. Who the hell was he to disapprove of anyone? The former Spectre hoped that would change one day.

Shepard continued to walk for another twenty minutes before he decided to turn around. He didn't want Tali waking up and wondering where he went. He was about five minutes from the apartments at the fringe of downtown when he noticed a quarian he thought looked familiar. Living among quarians, one had to quickly learn how to identify and recognize the small differences in the suits they wore if they did not want to offend, and Shepard had only needed a few months. She wearing a grey and red envirosuit with a matching red hood covering her head. Shepard stopped, trying to think where exactly he knew her from, when a quarian he would recognize in a heartbeat jogged across the street to greet her. Han'Gerrel greeted the woman with a handshake, and Shepard hurried into a nearby alley, trying to stay where Gerrel would not see him. After a brief conversation, the two of them began walking away, and Shepard followed as stealthily as he could manage.

When they stopped, about fifteen minutes later, it was at the largest hotel in the city, by the name of _Hagst an Norah_, which if Shepard remembered correctly translated roughly to "House of Norah." That had been the name inscribed on everything inside the hotel when it was restored to use, and no one knew who Norah might be. A combination restaurant/bar was built into the west wing of the hotel, and that was where Han'Gerrel and Hana'Klitschk went after entering the hotel. Shepard had recognized Hana'Klitschk after few minutes, remembering her from the crowds outside the capital building and her interviews on television. If there were any type of leader among the anti-Geth protesters, she was it. Hopefully Gerrel was meeting with Klitschk to work out some deal behind closed doors. Still, Shepard figured it wouldn't hurt to try and listen in without them noticing.

That proved an easier task than one would think due to the patrons within. _Hagst an Norah_ was the most popular hotel in Tikdara because it was the closest to the city's spaceport, and had the size to accommodate the many visitors of many different races that came to Rannoch for whatever reason. The variety of species within the bar allowed Shepard to duck his head, slip inside, and blend in unseen. Shepard was dressed casually, in blue pants and a shabby green shirt, so anyone who might recognize him would hopefully figure the savior of the galaxy would never dress that way in public. There were a few glances in his direction, but no one said anything.

Shepard got as close as he dared, out of Gerrel and Klitschk's sight, sitting at a table that allowed him to hear them just enough to understand what they were saying. It was all small talk, without a single word spoken about the situation with the Geth. Considering the hostility with which Tali said the meeting that day had gone, Shepard was a little confused to see the friendliness with which they were talking. The two ordered some food, ate, talked a little more about various minor political issues, and then parted. "I'll be back for a meeting in a day or two, right?" Hana'Klitschk asked. Shepard's ears perked up.

"No later than two days. You really roused them today," Gerrel said with a chuckle. Why would he find this situation funny?

Klitschk giggled as well. "I was taught well. I had to admit that it was funny to see the other admirals squirming the way they did." The two shared another laugh, and Klitschk was the first to leave. Gerrel waited, sipping at the straw in his drink, and left ten minutes later. Shepard waited another fifteen minutes before he left himself.

Tali had drawn herself a bath, and was relaxing in it when Shepard came home. It was somewhat difficult to remember what he had overheard at that sight. Her eyes were closed, only her head and shoulders visible above the soapy bubbles. "You've been gone for a while," she said, never opening her eyes.

"Went for a walk," he said, eyes focused on the beautiful woman in the bathtub. "I saw something interesting."

"Too bad," Tali said, lifting one arm and using the other to rub bubbles up and down. "I could have used some company," she added seductively.

Damn it, focus, Shepard thought, realizing his mouth was hanging open. "I saw Han'Gerrel meet up with Hana'Klitschk. The two went to the restaurant at the _Hagst an Norah_ and had a nice friendly chat with each other over dinner and drinks."

Tali's eyes darted open. "What? What were they talking about?"

"Nothing, really. Just seemed like a friendly dinner between friends. That would be fine if Klitschk wasn't currently trying to start a war that Han'Gerrel is supposed to be opposed to. It would also be fine if I hadn't heard what they said before Hana'Klitschk left. Basically Han telling her when her next meeting would be and the two of them laughing about the Admiralty being pressured into war."

Tali stood in the tub, water and bubbles dripping from her very naked body. "Keelah, Han is supporting them!?" she screamed, grabbing a towel of the nearby rack. "Of course, it makes perfect sense. Han was always a damned warmonger. He's probably responsible for the anti-Geth movement in the first fucking place."

The human curses sounded strange coming from Tali. It wasn't very often she used such language, let alone the human versions of such language. "I'm not sure if there's any to prove that, but for what its worth I feel the same," Shepard said.

"We have to find a way to prove it. The movement will have nothing without his support. Keelah, how did I not think of this before. I'll call Raan, you call Koris. We need to meet immediately and figure out how to handle this."

Shepard gently placed a hand on Tali's shoulder as she made to move past him, stopping her in place. She did not fight him. "It's probably not a good idea to meet all in one place. People will see, notice, and when they don't see Han'Gerrel they will talk."

Tali breathed deep. "Okay, you're right. Separately then. Who would you rather talk to?"

"Koris. He will need some intimidation to be coerced into cooperating. Besides, I doubt Raan will listen to me. She's cordial, but I'm pretty sure she still doesn't exactly like me." Tali opened her mouth to protest, but she knew that was true. "We tell them what I just told you, ask them if they have noticed anything about Han lately that might be suspicious. Hopefully between the four of us we can come up with a way to find out whether Han is playing us all false or not."

* * *

The shuttle ride was eerily quiet. Everyone on board stared at the ground, the same thoughtfulness written on every inch of their face, every wrinkle, every twitch. Martin wished he knew what they were thinking. It would have distracted him from his own fear and uncertainty. His first battle, aboard the _Leatum_, had never given him time to think. The pirates came, he did his job, he fought, and it was over. This time, he had five hours in the hangar bay and forty minutes in a shuttle to think. Even Piok was silent, tapping both of his feet nervously. The pilot told them to form up, soldiers from the _Adrien Jorillus _opened the doors, and Martin followed the others as they streamed out, boots crunching as they made contact with the ground. Gunfire could already be heard somewhere up ahead and to the left. One of Varius's men, an older turian named Brutus, had been given command of their particular squad and led them forward. Hostiles were not far away, opening fire as they made they way down the street, but their numbers were small, and their aim bad.

Once the initial engagement was over, with no casualties among the men Martin was with, Brutus ordered them to a halt. The gunfire stopped elsewhere moments later. Harintus led his squad to join up with them, and began relaying orders. "We're to clear the warehouse ahead," Brutus told them. "Move out!"

The men who had stolen the cargo from the _Leatum_ had situated themselves in a small, abandoned settlement, though they had not been told on what planet. They were going to sweep the entire town and kill everyone in their way while finding the cargo. It sounded like a stupid plan, the thieves would be entrenched and have superior positioning the entire time, but Hirillius and Varintus were in charge, and they insisted that the thieves' numbers were few enough that clearing the town would be no problem if they were smart and good shots. None of them were in any position to argue, and Martin knew to keep his mouth shut as Brutus led them towards the warehouse, another squad led by a man named Nihlus joining them.

The warehouse was clear, as was the garage, the two homes, and the store. They did not find more hostiles until the four story building, when two men on the third floor sniped down at them, hitting one of the Krogans whose name Martin could not recall. Brutus had Martin and Lucanus take cover and return fire while he led the rest of the squad into the building. The snipers were good, and kept them pinned down. Martin fired back when he could, as did Lucanus, but most of the fifteen minutes they spent in that spot behind a small car was spent crouched in cover. Eventually gunfire came from within the building, Martin and Lucanus were able to fire as well, and another fifteen minutes passed before Brutus emerged back outside.

The message played over the frequency they had been told to set their omnitools to. "Objective has been located inside the grocery store, repeat the objective is inside the grocery store. Heavy hostile presence, all squads converge on my location."

"You heard him, move out," Brutus said, wasting no time running ahead. Martin and the others had no choice but to follow.

* * *

**I'm a real jerk about the Admirals, huh? Whatever though, screw Han'Gerrel. And maybe it's too convenient that Shepard happened upon Han and Hana, or that Martin and his friends have to secure the stolen cargo because of secrecy, but I don't think it's that convenient. **

**To be clear, the turian named Nihlus is just a turian named Nihlus. No relation, just a shared name. I also don't know why I've not realized until this chapter that I should be italicizing the ship names.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry about the long delay. Just had a few days where I didn't feel like writing, and then when I did I finished my other story. I'm back now. :)**

* * *

Another fiery plume of smoke rose up from yet another artillery bombing, leaving a large crater where it hit the street. Martin was only twenty feet away, and the explosion left his ears ringing, which after near fifteen minutes since the shelling began, was almost becoming natural. He was taking cover with the rest of his squad, in a narrow alley across the street from the grocery store they were told to convene at. The other squads had found what cover there was, but two of them had suffered major casualties, falling in with other squads. Things had seemed clear when they reached the rendezvous point, but not one minute after two pairs of scouts were sent to determine what numbers were inside the grocery store, the artillery fired from a pair of hills outside the small town. It had thrown Hirillius and Varintus off completely. Such capabilities by the thieves were not expected. "Go shut those fuckers down!" Varintus had shouted to Nihlus, moments before an artillery strike left a blackened smudge where Varintus had been standing.

"We can't stay here!" Piok shouted, fear evident in his eyes as he crouched against the wall. The krogan looked like he was trying to create a hole he could hide inside with the way he was pressing himself tightly against the wall.

"What do you suggest?" Brutus shouted back. "We run out there and get blown to meaty chunks like Varintus did?"

"There's a lull every two minutes, lasting about thirty seconds," Lucanus said. "We can rush to the grocery store and take cover there. They won't risk destroying their cargo and whatever friends are inside by trying to hit us there."

Brutus thought about it, tapping his leg with one hand and holding his assault rifle with the other. "You're sure about this?"

"I noticed that too," Martin chimed in.

"Same here," another of their squad, a very young man named Parhus said. This was his first action, he said. He seemed to be handling himself very well, better than Piok was.

"Alright, hold on." Brutus had to shout to be heard over the artillery as he used his omnitool to relay the information to the other squad leaders. Martin could faintly hear the others confirming that they noticed the same thing, and agreeing. Smoke drifted down the alley, making his eyes water. "Okay, hurry across the street on my order, you lag behind, its your ass!" When the artillery stopped, Brutus shouted the order and Martin followed him, running as fast as his already sore legs could manage.

Martin had to resist the urge to throw himself against the double doors ahead, seeking the security of a roof over his head. It would actually be more dangerous to be inside the building if the artillery hit, but such common sense was hard to have at that moment. Pressing themselves against the outside wall, the squad took a breather. Too much time seemed to pass before the order came over Brutus's omnitool. "Fifty hostiles inside, ten at each door, the rest have taken up position around the cargo. Breach in one minute, pop smoke to cover your entrance!"

The smoke grenades threw off the thieves' aim just enough to allow Martin and his fellow soldiers a chance to take up solid cover inside. Martin managed to drop two of the hostiles he saw with his pistol, not knowing if he killed them or not. The gunfire was deafening and nonstop, both at his location and everywhere else, and the ringing in his ears was becoming almost normal. Martin followed Lucanus to a pharmacy counter that allowed them a view of most the store. The majority of the thieves had to use the aisles for cover, allowing them clear shots. Slowly but surely their training and discipline allowed them the advantage, and they pressed the thieves into the stock area in the back of the store. Martin and Lucanus were two of four that stayed back to kill anyone that tried to escape. Martin's arms grew sore, and little lights danced on the edge of his vision, but no one ran out the doors leading to the back. Hirillius was the first to walk out, a smile on his face. "Easy work," he said.

"Sir, the artillery crew is coming your way. Looks to be about thirty men," Nihlus reported over the omnitool.

"I expected no less." He began barking out orders, turning to Martin, Lucanus, and the other two snipers early on. "Get up to the roof, pick off as many as you can." Martin and the others nodded, saluted, and hurried outside to find a ladder to the roof.

* * *

"So nothing," Tali said, exasperated. Drael shook his head. "Okay. You have people watching him tonight, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," the spy said. Drael had been placed in charge of a group of four tasked with watching Han'Gerrel. "Every minute. We even managed to get inside his home and place surveillance devices."

"Good. Report tomorrow, at the same time as usual if you have nothing and as soon as possible if you do." Drael nodded and walked away, while Tali waited, reading a few more reports before leaving herself.

Today was the third since Shepard had told her what he saw in that bar. At this point, she was beginning to wonder if he was sure. There was no reason for him to lie, and she didn't think he did, but maybe he thought it had been Hana'Klitschk, and it wasn't. No, Shepard had lived among quarians long enough. He would have been sure before he made such accusations, she thought as she left the capital building. The protestors were not out front, though that was temporary, Tali was sure. The Admiralty Board's second meeting with Hana'Klitschk had not gone well. Hana had spoken the same talking points, made the same threats, and the Admirals blinked first, promising to send scouts to watch the Geth, to see if they were preparing for a fight. Tali had waited until the meeting was over before voicing her objections. It would not help to show division within the Admiralty to an outsider. Shouting her objections, actually, as she could not have been angrier. "We cannot give ground to this woman!" she had shouted. "If we do, it is only a matter of time before we do exactly what she wants!"

"We have no choice, if we want to keep peace," Gerrel claimed. Knowing what Shepard had told her, the statement was an outrage to her. She had narrowed her eyes viciously, teeth grinding, though he couldn't see that. "They will start this fight, whether we approve or not, so we must agree to small demands in order to delay such action, so we can continue to try and convince Hana'Klitschk of the folly of her ways." The other Admirals agreed, which only made her angrier. And so her hands were tied, until she could prove Han'Gerrel's involvement in the pro-war movement.

The entire affair was quickly wearing on her nerves and sanity. After serving so long on the Admiralty Board, solving so many problems and doing everything she could to help her people, this seemed to be proving to be the final straw for her life in public service. Despite being still a young woman, with a century before she would be facing her final years as an old woman, she had seen and done so much in her thirty-four years. She had fought geth, fought Reapers, seen family die, seen friends die, seen a friend come back from the dead, fallen in love, gained and raised a son, faced exile, helped take back her homeworld, become an Admiral, helped build civilization again. Not many people could claim to have served for others, putting their own wants and desires at the back of their minds, for so long. Tali found she was weary of it, and was learning that even the most selfless of people could grow to be selfish. Once this was over, she was thinking she would resign, and just enjoy her life. Maybe for a year, maybe five, maybe longer, but she wanted time for herself, to spend with her bondmate, wake up in the morning and tend her garden, just relax and be a normal woman. Not now, though. Not until she made sure Han'Gerrel and Hana'Klitschk did not lead her people into a war that would likely see the Quarian people lose Rannoch a second time.

Tomorrow came too soon. Tali went to bed very early, hoping to be well rested, yet when the morning sun made its unwelcome presence known, she was every bit as weary as usual. The protestors were still absent from the capital building, which spared her another day of hearing shouts and slogans that made her want to punch something. After arriving at the fifth floor, she headed towards her office, stopping when she saw Drael leaning against the wall outside. "Good morning, Admiral Shepard," he greeted.

"Hello, Drael'Bran," she said. "How was your night?"

"Quite busy, ma'am," he answered

"Please tell me you're here because you have good news." Drael nodded. "You caught him?"

"Yes." He tapped his omnitool.

Tali led the way into her office, not daring to be relieved yet. Not until she saw what her recon squad had found. Taking a seat, and gesturing for Drael to do the same, she said, "Okay. Let's see."

Drael began typing away on his omnitool, reminding her of the day Shepard had saved her from Fist's thugs, and she had presented the evidence of Saren working with the Geth. She could only hope Drael had evidence that solid. "This was recorded early this morning," he said.

A knock on a door was the first thing he heard, followed by footsteps and the door opening. "Thank you for coming so late," a man said, the voice easily recognizable as belonging to Han'Gerrel.

"Of course, I assumed this was important," Hana'Klitschk said, also easily recognizable.

"Not that important, but we should be more cautious from now on. Now that action is being taken, I cannot afford to be found out." Faint footsteps, as the two probably walked to sit down. "It was decided today that scouts will be sent into Geth territory, to make sure they are not preparing to attack."

"Good, you can tell these scouts to attack, start the war."

"No," Gerrel said. "Absolutely not. These are not my soldiers, and will immediately report such an order from me. There's no chance I would get away with it, and no chance the other Admirals would agree. We have to continue to be patient."

A long pause. "Okay. What do I do now? I'm not scheduled to meet with the Admirals for another week."

"You keep the protestors away for two more days, and then let them come back louder than ever. Maybe we will get lucky and the Geth will be preparing for war, but probably not. When next you meet with us, you will have had the news leaked to you that these scouts were sent, and you will have it on good authority that they did find something, whether its true or not. If they do find something, you will have the details you need. With the knowledge of an existing threat, you can no longer stand by and wait, and will be leading a private army to deal with that threat if we do not act first."

"How will I learn what the scouts found? Do you have a fall guy?"

"Don't worry about it," Gerrel insisted. "You understand all that?"

"Yes, sir. Hopefully this will be settled soon," Klitschk said.

"It will be. And when its over, I will make sure everyone knows the vital role you played in securing the future of the Quarian people."

Drael pressed a few keys and ended the recording. "They said a few more kind words and than Hana"Klitschk left."

Keelah, it was true. Gerrel wanted war. "Thank you, Drael. You will be noted for your service. And not in whatever ominous way Han'Gerrel just promised that bitch."

Drael chuckled. "Glad to hear I wasn't the only one that noticed the ominous way Admiral Gerrel said that. If Hana'Klitschk has any sense, she has been recording these meetings herself so she has a security measure when Gerrel turns on her."

"I doubt it. She strikes me as having a serious case of hero worship. The idea that Gerrel would play her false has likely never crossed her mind." Tali sighed, reaching a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, only to bump it against her visor. "I need a copy of that recording, if you don't mind. I need to expose Gerrel immediately, before he can do further damage."

"Of course." A few more taps, and Drael said, "Done."

"Good. Dismissed."

Tali made a beeline for Raan's office, thinking over the best way to approach Gerrel with what she knew. She wondered if he would resist arrest with force. She would not hesitate for a second to punch the bosh'tet right in the stomach if he did. The office was empty when she arrived, the lights off and the door closed, and another ten minutes passed before Raan came along. "Good morning, Tali," she greeted. "How are you this morning?"

"Not so good, Aunt Raan," Tali said. "I have something you and Admiral Koris need to listen to. Is he here?"

"I'm not sure. I can give him a call. Let's go inside my office."

Another half hour passed before Koris arrived, seating himself next to Tali in the chairs opposite Raan, who was sitting behind her desk. Tali played the recording Drael gave her, watching as the other two admirals' eyes went wide, and their bodies went tense. "Keelah, he's mad," Koris said.

"Not mad, he's a soldier who has spent his entire life fighting this enemy," Raan said. "It's not surprising that he does not trust the Geth, its just surprising that he would go to such lengths to make a fight so soon after we made peace."

"We still need to take him into custody," Tali said. "Maybe we can talk to him afterwards, now that his scheme is revealed. Han'Gerrel is not a bad man, I am sure he will listen to reason." She was shocked at how calm she was acting, compared to how she felt inside.

Raan and Koris must have been surprised as well. "We can hope," Koris said.

The three admirals stayed in Raan's office after she gave the order to arrest Gerrel. The orders were given for the arrest to be as discreet as possible, and to avoid restraints if possible. Tali wasn't sure how Raan and Koris convinced her to stay in the office and wait, yet there she was, drumming her fingers on her thighs as she waited. The knock came after an hour, though it felt like half a day. Raan gave permission for the soldier to enter the office, and he did so. It should have been obvious he did not have good news with the way he stared at the ground. "What do you mean you cannot find him?" Raan nearly shouted.

"He isn't in the building, he isn't at his home, we do not know where he is," the soldier said again.

"Then secrecy is no longer an option," Tali said, on the verge of completely losing her cool. "We must send out the word immediately, offer a reward for Han'Gerrel's location."

"That is a rash action, Tali," Raan argued.

"I agree with Tali'Shepard," Koris said, the words coming out quickly and panicked. "Who knows what he may be doing? He may be leading an army to fight the Geth as we speak."

Raan sighed, resting her head in her hands. "Ancestors take this bastard. Send out the word. Han'Gerrel is to be taken into custody."

* * *

There were definitely more than thirty, that much became clear moments after Martin fired his first shot. At least fifty or sixty. They were coming from the direction of the artillery, and he hoped the squad that had been sent to stop that artillery had stayed out of sight. The roof of the grocery store had high walls that allowed Martin and the other snipers to stay safe as they took their shots, but there were so many. He could only hope Hirillius and the squad leaders were ready.

"That is a lot more than thirty," Lucanus said, leaning against the wall while he popped a new thermal clip into his rifle.

"Obviously," Martin responded.

"There will be less when we're done," he said smugly.

"Can we talk about this later? Now's not the time to be talking."

Lucanus chuckled. "Rookies."

The snipers left a trail of bodies as the thieves' backup drew closer, but there were still around forty left by the time the first of them reached the store. Shots were directed the snipers' way, forcing them to take cover. They still popped out to catch who they could, but the gunfire rarely stopped. Down below, they could hear a banging as the hostiles tried to break into the store. "Does anyone have a grenade left?" Martin asked. He had run out in the push to the grocery store.

"Yeah, I have one," one of the other snipers, Yutus, said.

"Me too, a flash grenade," Jarillius added.

"Okay, throw the flash first, then the frag. Afterwards, we start firing, take out whoever we can." The others nodded, and on the count of three Jarillius threw his flash bang. Not one second after that, Yutus threw his frag, and about a second and a half after the flash went off the frag detonated as well, the sound of its explosion nearly drowned out by the screams of the soldiers it effected. Martin and Lucanus were the first out of cover, firing as quickly as they could. The sound of broken glass was followed by gunfire from inside, as if their allies inside knew what the snipers were about to do. The thieves broke quickly, turning to run and getting shot in their backs as they did so. Once it was all clear, Hirillius' voice came over Lucanus's omnitool. "Damn good work, soldiers, damn good work. Now get inside, they'll be back."

They did come back, of course, but not for ten minutes, which gave Martin and his fellow soldiers time to move the cargo out of the store and into one of the alleys across the street, where they had approached from. This allowed them to plant explosives at key structural points and abandon the store, hiding in surrounding buildings. When the thieves came back, they were tentative, surrounding the store. A couple of them threw grenades inside, a couple threw grenades on the roof, and fifteen charged into the store while the others waited nearby. The boom was deafening, drowning out the shouts of "Retreat!" from those outside the store.

It was mop up work from there. The thieves were broken, and their shots completely inaccurate. Hirillius led the way as they chased them back to the hill where the artillery lay. Since they were snipers, Martin and Lucanus were kept towards the back of the column moving forward. "Holy shit, Martin, look who it is," Lucanus said at one point. He was stopped near a body, belonging to a turian. Martin knew who it was right away. Varius had been caught in the debris when the grocery store collapsed, his body trapped under multiple large blocks of concrete and covered in dust. "Not a surprise, is it?" Lucanus asked rhetorically. Martin shrugged and kept walking.

The fight ended soon after, with the remaining seven enemies retreating eventually giving up, pleading for mercy as they knelt to the ground. They were restrained, the shuttles were called for pickup, and within the hour everyone was back on the _Adrien Jorillus_, congratulating each other on a successful mission, with only ten casualties.

Martin did not join in the celebrations and congratulations. He sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, eyes closed. He tried his hardest to tune out the voices of his friends and fellow crewmates from the _Leatum_, but he couldn't. He didn't feel bad for Varius and the others. He wasn't feeling sick about taking lives the way he did after his first fight. That was making him sick. Guilt was something he had in spades after his first combat. Why didn't he feel it now? Some of those now dead were men and women he knew and liked. Varius had been very welcoming to him. He thought he should feel worse about what happened. It frightened him that he didn't.

A light kick to his shin made Martin open his eyes. Piok was standing over him, a drink in his hands. "Wake up and celebrate!" he said enthusiastically. The krogan's attitude was far different than it had been during the battle, when he appeared on the verge of a breakdown. "Come on, we did good today! Hirillius said we'll be allowed back on the Leatum in a day or two, and this whole incident will be forgotten. Have a drink, celebrate!"

Martin shrugged, not taking the bottle of whatever the hell Piok was offering him. Besides not wanting a drink, Piok was likely handing him something Martin shouldn't be drinking anyway. It wouldn't be the first time. "I'd rather be alone right now. No offense." When Piok scoffed and turned his back, Martin stood. "Wait, wait. Sorry. Look, I'll celebrate later, but right now I'm just not feeling it. Save me a drink." He offered a smile.

His krogan friend smiled back. "I'll save you two. Tonight, we party! Or at least as much as they'll let us!" He laughed loudly and walked off.

Lucanus took his place a few minutes later, and Martin had to suppress a groan. "I know, Piok told me. Still, I just wanted to say you did good out there. You're becoming a damn good soldier."

"Yeah, I guess."

Lucanus watched him for a few moments. "Alright, I'll leave."

Martin felt a little guilty about his behavior, but he was left alone the rest of the night and did his best not to think about it. The _Adrien Jorillus_ docked the next morning, and the _Leatum's _crew was led into a military compound, though this time they were allowed decent accomodations rather than the dank prison cells from before. One by one they were led out of the room, and those that left did not return. Horrible rumors began after the third crew member to leave, but all of these rumors were stupid. They were obviously asking questions and did not want the ones being questioned to tip off the others.

Martin was the tenth name called, and by that point his remaining crewmates were definitely believing the worst. He followed the turian that called his name, a woman, surprisingly, he had never seen a female turian before, as she led the way down a hallway. She looked basically the same as a male turian, except she was slightly smaller and did not have the crest that male turians did. They stopped at an office similar to the one Martin had talked to Garrus in before the mission, and inside Garrus was again waiting. A large smile was on his face, and he shook Martin's hand eagerly before gesturing for the young human to take a seat. "I heard you distinguished yourself out there. Can't say I'm surprised, since your Shepard's son."

"Thank you."

"Did you see the cargo? Did you see what it was?"

"No. I saw the crates, but that's it."

"How about anyone else? Did anyone else ever open it, that you saw?"

Martin thought for a moment. "Not that I saw. The crates looked completely sealed when your men showed up to secure it."

Garrus nodded. "Okay. As you can probably guess, it would have been a problem if you did see it. That was extremely top secret military hardware you were transporting. But, no one else is claiming to have seen anything either, its been determined that the crates were never opened, so you and your fellow crewmates are in the clear. Again, you did a damn good job with this."

"Thank you," Martin said again.

His melancholy tone was not mistaken to his father's friend. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking."

"I'm sure. This was only your second combat experience, right? I remember mine. It was so different than the first time. Everything came so naturally, and afterwards the sick feeling wasn't there like the first time. That freaked me out a little."

Martin studied Garrus carefully, not sure if he was telling the truth. Why would he lie? Stop being so pessimistic, Martin thought. "I'm a little worried about that, to tell the truth. Makes me feel a little psychopathic. Even after so many years, Dad always felt every death, whether he was responsible or not. He told me that taking a life was something you never got used to. I don't know, I feel kind of used to it right now."

"Obviously you're thinking about it, if you're feeling down about not feeling bad. That's kind of a contradiction there, huh?" Garrus was studying him now, he could see. When Martin didn't answer he smiled compassionately. "Look, this has been an extremely fucked up few days for you. I can promise, you'll feel those deaths tomorrow. You're dad did not lie, and you're no pyscho. Just don't start moping when you feel bad."

Martin laughed, maybe inappropriately, he didn't know. "So, I hear we are going to be allowed back on our ship tomorrow or the day after."

Garrus' smile disappeared. "Most of you. Not all. Some are suspected of being involved with Varius' theft. Lucanus had asked to rejoin military service. Everyone else, yourself included, will be back on the _Leatum_ tomorrow evening."

Lucanus rejoining the military came as a surprise, but Martin would wait to ask his friend himself why he was doing it. "Thanks Garrus. Now that this is over, I guess its safe to tell my parents what happened."

"You have two days before I tell them myself. And believe me, you don't want that." Garrus laughed.

Martin laughed with him. "Thanks, Garrus." The two shook hands, hugged briefly, and Martin was escorted to a room where the others questioned before him had been taken.

* * *

**Okay, there it is. Hope it was worth the wait. Martin's life is returning back to normal, and his Pilgrimage will soon be over. What will he do when the news of what's happening on Rannoch reaches him? :o**


	23. Chapter 23

"He came with us quietly," the soldier standing guard told Tali.

She looked into the interrogation room, where Admiral Han'Gerrel, war hero and one of the most respected quarians alive, was sitting with his head hung low. "Has he said anything?" she asked.

The soldier shook her head. "We don't know what to ask, and the moment we brought him into the room he said he would not talk to anyone except the rest of the Admiralty Board, and only if they were all together.

Tali nodded, and sighed. "Have Zaal'Koris and Shala'Raan been informed?"

"Yes ma'am. They should be here very soon."

"Good. Dismissed."

When they arrived, the three Admirals entered the small room together, standing before the table silently. Han'Gerrel said nothing staring back up at them, the defiance in his eyes clear even through the visor. He almost certainly knew why he was here, and would face the consequences the way he faced everything: like a soldier. The recording of himself and Hana'Klitschk was played for him, and Gerrel did not move a muscle, did not look away. "Why, Han?" Raan asked, breaking a minute long silence after the recording had finished.

"You know exactly why," Gerrel answered calmly. "There will come a point in time where the Geth again threaten us, and conflict will arise. I want to take the fight to them before they regain their former strength, but I knew I would not receive the support needed unless the rest of you were given no choice. I will not apologize."

Tali did not for one moment think Han'Gerrel would admit to being wrong, and that was not the reason he was here. "Where is Hana'Klitschk? What was she to do if you were placed under arrest?"

"She was to send word to the 66th and 67th Platoons to march on Ketuka, closest city occupied by the Geth, where the opening shots of the war to reclaim Rannoch would be fired."

Ketuka was only two thousands miles away, mere hours by shuttle. The 66th and 67th could already have initiated hostilities. "Why would they attack when Hana brought them word? She is no soldier, she is not a part of the army, she isn't even part of the government."

Han stared intensely at Tali, but she did not cower before his gaze. "I gave her written orders, signed by me. She was to bring them to the platoon leaders, who have been waiting for those orders. Hana is a very small and relatively unimportant participant in my plans, an admirer that was willing to do whatever she could. Her part was to end when the war began, which it has."

"You bosh'tet," Koris hissed. "You insufferable, war mongering monster! You would kill us all over your need for war! Your need to fight!"

Gerrel stood, the chains binding his legs to the table rattling but limiting his movement to none. Koris took a step back anyway. "I started this war because none of you had the courage! You're all so damned eager to appease the Geth that you blindly ignore the threat they pose, and would continue to ignore it until they were once again taking Rannoch from us! I'm the only one of us that cares about the Quarian people! That's why they sided with me!" His voice was acid, echoing within the small confines of the room. His breathing was heavy, only steadying when he again took his seat. "I'm not the only one that realizes it either. You have all lost the respect of our military with your pathetic fear of these machines. The 66th and 67th were not the only ones willing to strike this first blow. The 70th is standing by, waiting for orders. The 71st and 78th are ready for orders as well. Whether you want to or not, you will have to send reinforcements or the 66th and 67th will die, and you will lose whatever little respect our people still have for you all. I suggest you send the orders now, if you want to save as many lives as you possible."

The other admirals stumbled back a step, shocked into silence and unsure of what to do, but Tali continued to meet Gerrel's gaze. "Thank you, Han. You will be moved to a cell, treated with the respect someone of your reputation deserves, and there you will await the judgment of the Admiralty Board." She turned and left the room with grace and authority, not even turning around to see if the others were following. She assumed they were, and once they left the room she said, "Shala, send the best pilot you have and four armed escorts to catch up with the 66th and 67th, we need to at least try and catch up with them. If they've already started fighting, tell your men to get out of there before they get shot down."

"Tali, we cannot sacrifice two platoons," Raan argued.

"Unless you want to give Han exactly what he hoped for, we have no choice. I don't think it will come to that since they are expecting reinforcements. We can send a message maybe saying there will be no backup, or they will suffer losses and retreat, but I'm sure they will not allow themselves to be wiped out."

Raan grabbed Tali's arm, staring pleadingly into her eyes. "Are you sure about this, Tali? Are you really willing to do this?"

"Auntie, we have no choice," Tali told her, softening her voice. "We can't fight them. Even if we win, we will not destroy them all, and when they rebuild we will fight again. I cannot let that happen, not if there's a chance to avoid it. The Geth will listen to reason."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"I have to."

Raan nodded. "Okay. I'll have a shuttle in the air within the next half hour."

Once she was gone, Tali turned her attention to Koris, who was shuffling his feet and staring at the ground. "Zaal, we may not want war, but we may not have a choice. Ready our defenses and mobilize the civilian militias. Try to do so as calmly as possible." Koris nodded glumly, but before he walked away Tali grabbed his arm. "Be strong, Zaal. Our people need you to be a leader. Whatever strength you summoned in that bunker while we were fighting the Reapers, you need to find it again." Koris nodded again, with much more conviction, and walked away confidently. Tali hoped he could manage.

* * *

"Martin!" Yala shouted, her voice slightly off due to the poor quality of wherever she was talking to him from. "Oh Keelah, are you okay?"

Martin had been allowed use of Captain Vulkar's personal transmission equipment, which was powerful enough to transmit to a planet if the ship was within a nebula. As the _Leatum_ was close enough to Eden Prime, the communicator could reach Eden Prime rather easily. He wanted to stop and see Yala personally, but the "detour" they had taken recently made that impossible. He was surprised Vulkar even let him do this, though he probably shouldn't be. Ever since the crew returned to the ship and things went back to normal, the captain had treated him with far more respect. "I'm fine, I promised. Probably a little scarred, but I'm fine."

"I'm so sorry," Yala said. "What happened is just horrible. Don't you dare make fun of me, but I've barely been able to sleep the past couple of days, since you told me what happened. Hailey and Neema won't leave me alone, because they insist on trying to cheer me up."

Normally he would have a quip of some kind, but not for this. "I'm okay, I swear."

"That's good. I guess there's no chance you can visit."

"No, I asked."

"This will have to do then. Oh, I have some good news!" The quarian woman's voice was suddenly upbeat. "The Wards told me that due to the increased output of the farm and not having to pay someone to help since I've been here, they can afford to upgrade their farm equipment. When they do, in about a month, they have promised to let me take the equipment they are replacing to bring back as my Pilgrimage gift!"

"So, you're Pilgrimage is over in a month?" Martin asked.

A giggle came over the transmitter. "As amazing as it seems, yes! And with a pretty good gift, too. This equipment may not be top of the line, but its very good and its something we need, as well as being better than the majority of what we have on Rannoch."

"That is great news, Yala. Congratulations."

"How about you? Fighting a battle in the name of the Hierarchy should be worth a Pilgrimage gift too, right?"

Martins shrugged, stupid since she couldn't see it. "I don't know. I think we were lucky to get our ship back, and fly away with our lives. We'll see what happens from there."

"Martin Shepard, report to the bridge. Shepard, to the bridge, right now," came the call over the ship's PA system.

"Sorry, Yala, gotta go. Love you, and again, congratulations."

"I love you, too. Please stay safe," Yala said, and the call ended.

Martin hurried to the bridge, where Captain Vulkar was standing, waiting. "Enjoy your call?"

Martin blushed, feeling stupid for doing so. "Yes sir, thank you for letting me use your quarters."

"Don't make a habit of it," Vulkar said, grinning. "Anyway, General Vakarian has asked for your presence back on Palaven. We will be stopping at the nearest spaceport and you will take a ship back to Palaven, where an escort will be waiting to bring you to the General's home."

They had left Palaven three days earlier. What could they possibly want from him, and him alone? "He only wants to talk to me?"

"That's what the message said. I'm not exactly going to argue with someone as powerful as General Vakarian. So make sure you pack your things, we will be arriving at the spaceport in an hour and a half."

* * *

Shepard lifted the bottle to his lips again, the last of the liquid inside entering his mouth. He proceeded to swig it around before swallowing, exhaling audibly. Much as he felt like opening another bottle and getting properly drunk, he could not do so right now. No, he had given his word to the woman he loved, that he would stay at home, wait to hear from her, and keep his wits about him. He was a little buzzed now, but certainly not to a point where he lost himself. That would require another bottle, but he had made a promise, so he placed the empty bottle in his hands on the table in front of him, and stayed where he was.

Martin's message had reached him last night, with Garrus' message coming about an hour later. Shepard's first reaction had been to hide what the message said from Tali, but that proved to be impossible when she saw the pure rage written on his face. She had stayed calm, telling him that if the battle was over, then Martin was fine, there was no reason to worry anymore. Straight bullshit, as he thought about it now, but last night Tali's pleading expression as she begged him had worked. He composed a calm message in return, saying how he was glad Martin was okay, to be please be careful, and to not get involved in anything above his head. No way that advice would work, not on Shepard's son, but he figured he would say it anyway.

He and Tali had not been getting a good night's sleep, both tossing, turning, and constantly waking up, when the news of Gerrel's capture came a few hours before dawn. Like the loyal, amazing woman she was, she dragged herself out of bed and left as soon as possible, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she walked out the door. Shepard had given up on sleep by that point, and had seven hours since on the couch, only moving to eat and grab the now empty bottle he was staring at. This was not the role he was used to playing, sitting at home with nothing he could do while those he cared about were in danger. It took every ounce of his willpower not to grab a gun and force himself into whatever fight was taking place. And there was a fight taking place, he knew that for a certainty. He was a man of action, and was not used to being told not to take action. He wanted things back to the way they were a year ago, when Martin was home, Tali's schedule was no different than a normal job, and he could see them whenever he wanted. Hopefully things would return that way soon.

When the beeping of the computer console echoed through the room, it was a much welcomed sound. "John?" Tali's familiar voice asked. "John, you there?"

"Yeah," he answered, voice rough and giving away his alcohol consumption. He knew Tali was frowning. "Is everything okay?"

"No," she responded. "I hate to do this, but I don't have time to explain, so you need to do what I ask as soon as this call ends. There's a small geth force moving your way, fifty strong. Koris has already organized the civilian militia in the area and I've sent two squads of Marines from the 2nd Battalion, but I want you to help them. They are assembling at the power station at Almi Avenue, meet them there as soon as possible. You know where that is, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Okay. Be careful, John, and keep yourself and everyone else safe."

"Of course. Love you."

"I love you, too."

The others were already present, armed, armored, and ready for battle when Shepard arrived, wearing his N7 armor and holding an assault rifle. Nods of respect came his way as he passed the lower ranked soldiers and the nervous civilians, making his way to the two Marines speaking softly to each other. They also turned Shepard's way as he approached, and greeted him with handshakes. "Kal'Neegat and Umo'Parst, correct?"

The two Marines looked at each other, obviously in disbelief that Shepard knew who they were. "Yes, sir," Kal'Neegat said.

"Well, let's hear it. Where are they coming from, when will they get here, and what are our best options?"

"They are approaching from the east. They seem to be ignoring everything along the way, their only focus reaching the city. They should arrive in fifteen minutes. As far as options, we were hoping for your input." Parst pulled up a holographic display on his omnitool, showing a map of one section of Tikdara. Shepard knew the area very well, and was already formulating a plan before Parst spoke again. "We're here, and the Geth will likely approach from here. We were thinking we would take up position at these buildings. We have about forty strong, so they outnumber us, but with the surprise of our attack we should be able to handle them easily, assuming they don't see the ambush coming."

"No," Shepard said. "We should spread out more, have small ambush points set up to bleed their numbers before they meet our main force. That way we know what units we are dealing with before we spring our main assault. Set up two squads of ten here and here, have them harass the Geth as they pass into the city. The first squad can hit them from here to here, the second squad continue to hit them the rest of the way until they reach the main force here."

"It would be easy for those squads to break off their assault and get to safety if the Geth try to pursue," Neegat said, tapping his fingers on his left hand on the table. "I like it."

"Agreed. Maybe the Geth will retreat if they suffer enough casualties, without ever reaching the main force of twenty."

"And the two harrying squads can hit them from behind once the main force engages," Shepard said. "I'd suggest having you two and your Marines carry that out. The civilians aren't reliable, and they'll fight better if I'm with them. This plan will serve best, I think."

And so Neegat and Parst led their marines to the ambush points, while Shepard set up obstacles and had his civilian soldiers take up position. A few that he was told had proved to be standout shooters were placed on rooftops of two story homes, the rest of the squad at ground level, behind the barriers of vehicles set up to block the road and serve as cover, or behind energy barriers in between the homes on the street. Shepard himself was behind two cars, staring down the sights of his assault rifle. He first heard gunfire eighteen minutes after the first reports came in from Parst's squad. There were twenty-five geth troopers, ten shock troopers, five rocket troopers, five snipers, three hunters, and two pyros. The first geth that Shepard saw was a trooper, ahead of the rest of his fellow Geth. He wasted no time shooting the damned thing right through the stupid light on its head.

* * *

Please be okay, Tali thought as she sat in the large situation room with Koris and Raan. She had no idea where Shepard's head was right now, and could not help but worry that he was in no shape to be leading troops into battle. The news of their son's battle had hit him hard, had woken those instinctive protective feelings that Tali loved about him. One of the main reasons she loved Shepard so much was that he was a man of action, a man who would never hesitate to do everything in his power to protect those he loved. Right now that would not help, and he was not needed or wanted on a Pilgrimage. She said as much to him, and though the cold, reproachful look he gave her frightened Tali down to her bones, he understood. She wanted him to lead the defense from the Geth force approaching Tikdara because he was still a great soldier and leader, but once the decision and call were made, she immediately began to worry. Now she was left to wait, listening while Zaal'Koris tried to make contact with the Geth, to explain that the soldiers that attacked them did not do so under the orders of the Admiralty Board, and were a rogue group.

The 66th and 67th had assaulted a strong defensive position, suffered heavy casualties, and were retreating by the time the messenger reached them. When that messenger returned, he told them a grim tale. "At least half of both platoons were dead, and another twenty were wounded. They were broken. At first they thought I was coming to tell them of reinforcements, but when I told them otherwise that was the final straw. Some broke down and sobbed right there." The scene had obviously affected the messenger deeply. Tali found herself regretting her decision briefly, wondering if they would truly lose the Quarian people when word of what happened reached them.

"How did they evade the Geth pursuit?" Raan asked. The force of fifty Geth that Shepard would be currently engaging had been spotted marching towards Tikdara before the messenger returned, and the Admiralty had assumed the 66th and 66th were wiped out.

"They did not pursue," the messenger told them. "Commander Vic'Quallon told me that as soon as they began their battle, a retaliation force was sent this way, and no one came after them when they retreated."

Once the Geth retaliatory force was repelled, they would send shuttles to recover the 66th and 67th, but not before. And so now Tali was waiting, hoping for good news, while Koris continued to try and contact the Geth, a task that proved hard when the Geth had no leadership to easily contact. The console to her right lit up, and a hologram of Shepard's face appeared. Tali let out a relieved breath, without ever realizing she was holding her breath. "Shepard to base, Shepard to base," he said, his tone calm.

Tali hurried and pressed the necessary keys. "This is Tali'Shepard, report," she responded. She had to remain the Admiral, as relieved as she was.

"The geth force has retreated with heavy casualties," Shepard reported. "Do we pursue them?"

"No," Tali nearly shouted. "Do not pursue. Remain in defensive positions, and await further orders."

"Understood." Shepard nodded, and ended communication.

At that same time, the clearly robotic voice of a Geth could be heard, and Tali turned quickly out of paranoia to find Koris talking to a geth through the communication console in front of him. "I understand, but the Admiralty Board had nothing to do with this. Please, we would like to meet and explain ourselves, to prevent a war neither of us want."

"The Creators continue to show an unwillingness to cooperate. We cannot be guaranteed this will not happen again," the geth on the console said.

"Please, we can come to a compromise, we do not want war."

Tali gently pushed Koris to the side. "This was the work of a Quarian admiral who is currently in custody, will be put on trial, and will be punished for his treason. What else could you possibly need as proof that we will cooperate?"

A brief pause followed Tali's question. "The deaths of those involved in the attack seems a reasonable show of trust."

"We do not do that," Tali said. "There is only one perpetrator, and if found guilty he will be exiled, as is our tradition."

"What of the Creators that attacked us? Are they to go unpunished?"

"They had nothing to do with this. They followed orders." Tali took a deep breath. "We should not discuss such matters in this way. We would like to meet in person, on a neutral meeting ground."

The geth was silent again. "That is acceptable."

* * *

Martin was sick of Palaven. The planet may have once held a wondrous mystique to him, but seeing it so much and for the purposes he found himself visiting lately, he hoped to never come back. Alone, in a small cabin, \spending hours with nothing to do but think, he could not think of any positive reason Garrus would want to see him again. He wondered if any his former crewmates had said he was involved in the theft of the cargo. It was not the least bit true, but maybe they didn't like him and said his name to be spiteful, or see him punished for some reason. Otherwise, why was he here on the Turian homeworld again?

The promised military escort was waiting for him the moment he stepped off the ship that took him to Palaven, and they formed a circle around him as they walked to a waiting shuttle, rifles in hand. Rather than some small interrogation room, this time he met with Garrus at his large mansion, in the biggest office he had ever seen, much of it empty space. Art of various battles Martin didn't recognize decorated the walls, and a large wooden desk, he didn't know what kind of wood, sat against one wall, Garrus sitting behind it with various data pads in front of him. Garrus stood, thanked the escort, and led Martin to a chair across the desk from his own. "You can relax, pal, you're here because of good news. I'll just go ahead and get to it, the cargo we recovered is intact, and will soon be sent to its destinations once again, though this time with an armed escort."

"That's good news," Martin said, warily.

"Very," Garrus said, smiling. "The cargo is a new targeting system, a joint effort between Humanity, Turians, and Asari, the most advanced in the galaxy. The Council has already agreed to distribute the technology among others besides its developers, and with my persuasion I was able to convince the Primarch to ask that the Quarians receive this technology as well, especially with the return of the Geth."

This seemed way above his level of understanding, and Martin nodded. "That's good. I'm sure the Admiralty will be happy."

"You should be, too," Garrus said. "You'll be on the ship holding the cargo, and the Primarch has decided that you will be allowed to present this new targeting system as your Pilgrimage gift."

Martin's mouth hung open, no words coming out. "What?" he finally managed to ask.

"You heard me, kid," Garrus said, grinning again. "The Hierarchy were going to give this to the Quarians anyway, and since you were instrumental in getting it back, the Primarch decided why not let you present this as your Pilgrimage gift? So there you go, if you want it."

A part of Martin told him this wasn't right, that he hadn't earned it. He once again found he was unable to speak. "This is certain? You're not messing with me?" Garrus shook his head. "Um, I really don't know what to say. It kind of feels like I'm having my Pilgrimage ended forcefully, without my earning it."

"Come on, Martin, you earned it. I didn't convince the Hierarchy to give you something top secret, that you shouldn't have. Once it was decided that the Quarian people should have this technology, it wasn't much of a leap to let you present it as your Pilgrimage gift. If you don't want to, then that's fine, I'll have a ship take you back to the _Leatum_. It's up to you."

That snapped Martin out of his trance. "No, no, I absolutely accept. Damn, I'd have to be crazy not to." Martin stood, and the two shook hands. "I can't thank you enough, Garrus. I really can't. This probably won't sink in for a while. When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow evening." Garrus put an arm around Martin and led him from the office. "You can stay here until then, I'll have my cooks get something for you to eat."

* * *

**Tali taking control! It probably comes across like I hate the other Admirals, or don't think much of them, huh? I'm trying to keep Han'Gerrel's position from appearing evil or stupid, hope I'm succeeding. And Martin's Pilgrimage is now over, but what will his home look like when he gets there?**

**Reaching the end soon. I'm not sure how many more chapters I'll have. Probably two more, three at most.**


	24. Chapter 24

**This ended up being a slow, transitory chapter. Didn't start out that way, but I hit my word limit pretty quick here. This is the calm before the storm, I guess. Next chapter, stuff is happening, so just bear with the slowness here.**

* * *

Tali found she felt surprisingly calm, her every step confident as she walked alongside her fellow Admirals. The meeting earlier that day had not gone well, and she suspected that the open forum they were about to attend would go any better, but as long as there were not geth and quarians shooting at each other, she probably shouldn't complain. All the former captains of the Migrant Fleet awaited them in the small auditorium, murmuring to each other. They quieted as the Admiralty entered, staring while they made their way to the table on the raised stage, where three chairs awaited them. Tali could see the frustration in their eyes, the impatience and anger in their movements. Tali took the seat furthest to the left, Raan took the middle, and Koris the seat on the left. She remembered similar meetings during her childhood, when she would stand among the crowd and watch her father and the other Admirals discuss the best course of action for the fleet. Afterwards, Admiral Rael'Zorah would walk over to her and her mother, hug them both, and begin asking Tali if she understood what she had seen.

Those lessons in politics had always angered Tali. Rael'Zorah always seemed so much more interested in being a political mentor than a father. She had been grateful for those lessons when she became an admiral, and found herself in those same councils, the angry stares from the Fleet's captains as they argued for or against the war against the Geth. Those lessons still couldn't replace having a father that came home and doted on her and treated her like his little princess, but that was not who Rael'Zorah was, and not who her people were. Now, after a decade on the Board, such gatherings with the captains were no more stressful than getting the laundry done. Laundry, that had been annoying as well at first. She wore one suit nearly exclusively, and the concept of washing dirty clothes had been as alien as a newly discovered species. She had downright refused to do laundry for Shepard and Martin for three years.

The opinions of the assembled captains were predictably split. Despite no longer presiding over a crew, the captains still held power, over neighborhoods instead of ships. A certain number of captains reported to each of the admirals, which was proving difficult now that the Admiralty Board was down to three. Replacements would need to be found soon, and would be by far their biggest priority when this latest potential conflict with the Geth was over. "Captains, please, stop talking all at the same time!" Raan shouted, as once again the dozens of quarians in the room began shouting over each other. "There is no need to act so confrontational with each other."

"You don't listen otherwise," said Jor'Tralaz, one of the youngest captains, and a staunch supporter of Han'Gerrel. "You tried to ignore the Geth until the protests began. You will do the same if allowed."

Thankfully, those protests had not returned, much to Tali's surprise. She would have bet nearly any amount of credits that the protestors would be back when news of Gerrel's incarceration became public. "We never ignored the Geth. We were always in contact, trying to make sure things stayed peaceful, that no misunderstandings leading to war would occur." Raan was taking control of this meeting, being the oldest and most well respected of the admirals.

"And yet we are on the brink of war, anyway," shouted Qualo'Inzet. "You would have us believe the Geth are not ready to fight, but history suggest otherwise."

What had Gerrel said to turn their people so hateful? After they retook Rannoch, these same captains showing such suspicion had been eager to work with the Geth. Many years had passed, but nothing had occurred in all that time to change their minds this way. Nothing except whatever misinformation and hate Gerrel had poisoned their ears with. "Tali'Shepard," Cora'Naetz called out. "Your father and bondmate both fought and won some of their greatest victories against the Geth. You must understand the risk if we do not act now."

"She understands the risk of war, and why we must avoid it!" Ozet'Wlaz said.

"I understand the Geth, period, better than any living quarian," Tali said. "I understand the risk involved both in action and inaction. I would hope my opinion would hold more weight. When I promise you that the Geth are not aiming to fight any wars against us, I would hope you all would listen. All that war would achieve for us is more death that is not the least bit necessary. The Geth do not want to fight us."

More shouts, both for and against, canceled each other out. Raan once again shouted the rest of them down, displaying a well blessed set of lungs, Tali thought amusedly. "We are simply arguing in circles now. It is time to put this to a vote."

The vote went as expected. Once it was over, the Admiralty left the room as the captains did the same. Raan led the way to the elevator, and once the door closed, Koris stomped his feet like a child. "Gerrel is a son of a whore!" he shouted.

"That's enough, Zaal," Raan said disapprovingly.

"No, this bosh'tet has nearly half the captains ready to go to war, and many more wavering in their opposition to war. Even in a cell, sitting by himself with no visitors, he is leading us down a path to destruction."

"There's nothing we can do but continue to make our case, and hope the captains continue to see sense," Raan said.

"We need to put him on trial, immediately," Tali finally chimed in. She had been thinking about this for a while. "Those people out there, many do not know what Gerrel has done, how he has manipulated this situation. If we put him on trial, and this all becomes public, we can win the people back to our side."

"We will only give him a forum to speak," Koris argued. "He is too charismatic to allow that chance right now. Once the geth have been dealt with, and a peace obtained, we can try Han without fear."

"And what if we cannot obtain peace with the Geth?" Tali asked. "Does peace seem close at hand to you? Did those captains just now strike you as wanting peace? They do not know what Gerrel has done, how he is responsible for what happened to the 66th and 67th. They don't know that he is the reason the 70th and 78th are gone. We'll put the bastard on trial, let everyone know what he's done, and this entire situation will calm down after Gerrel is either dead or in exile."

Koris narrowed his eyes, but did not respond. Raan said nothing either, which worried Tali. She had been hoping for her auntie's support. Once the elevator stopped, they began to walk their separate ways, hoping for new information on the whereabouts of their missing platoons, but first Raan said, "We will try Han'Gerrel in two days. For better or worse, we will let the people hear the evidence for themselves and then decide. It is our best option." Then she walked away, leaving Koris fuming and Tali smiling.

Tali later found her aunt in her office, sipping at a glass of turian brandy. "I can't wait until we can make this stuff ourselves," Raan said, slurring slightly. "I'm sick of paying such outrageous prices to get drunk."

Tali giggled. "Probably not a good idea to get drunk until you're home anyway." She took a seat in an empty chair. "So what part of this is bothering you so much? Personally I'm frightened out of my mind about the possibility we will be back on ships within a month."

"You don't show it. Keelah, I'm trying to stay more optimistic than that."

"Han?"

Raan nodded. "Han. I've known this man for so long. He has always been a little wild, a little angry, and the hate he held was never a good thing, but he was always a good man. I still believe he is. But this is too much. I've already lost one good friend in a desperate attempt to fight the geth."

"Father had better reasons than Han," Tali said.

"They are the same damn reasons. Rael was angry, detached, all his effort went into finding ways to defeat the Geth, his wife and daughter be damned." Raan reached a hand across the desk to take Tali's hand. "Your father did love you, but you deserved better. Mira as well. I know you both loved him, but he was not the father or husband he needed to be for you two." Raan sipped again at her brandy. "Han at least waited until his kids were grown and had kids of their own before he decided to throw his life away."

Tali had nothing to say to that. She didn't want to think about her father right now. A brief image of her mother, smiling in the safety of a clean room, entered her mind. "If you're so sure he'll be found guilty, why are your worried?"

"Because Han's exile will not change much. If anything, he may become a martyr that drives the pro-war cause to the point we have no choice but to fight. I agree with you that we should begin the trial as soon as possible, but that's more to end this sooner rather than later, not because I think Han's exile will help instill any damned common sense in the captains."

The two women sat silently, interrupted by the beeping of Raan's communication console. "Yes, what is it?" Raan answered angrily.

"Admiral Raan, sorry to bother you but there is a Turian ship entering the system, requesting permission to land. They claim to have members of the Hierarchy on board, with cargo the Admiralty Board would be interested in."

"What's left of the Board, anyway," Raan muttered. "Permission granted. We will be there in fifteen minutes." Finishing the last of the brandy, Raan looked over at Tali. "Let's go see what our friends have brought us."

* * *

The parking job was not one of his best, but Shepard didn't care. For the first time in weeks, even months maybe, he was happy. Downright giddy, even. He closed the door after exiting, barely remembering to hit the button to lock the car up, and hurried through the doors of the spaceport, doing his best not to bump into anyone. He waited for an elevator, pressed it closed before anyone else could get inside, and used the special key that granted access to the VIP docks used by government officials, Quarian or otherwise, and important celebrities. He had been given the card key years ago, but it had never proven necessary until now. The three previous times he had come here, Tali had come too, so they just used her card. As the elevator rose, Shepard wondered if she had heard yet, or had any idea. The Admiralty had probably been informed that an important guest had requested permission to dock. They would have to come to greet the ship. He began to pace in the elevator, wishing it would move faster. Then the doors opened, and he strode briskly out of it.

Tali, Raan, and Koris were standing a respectable distance from the airlock exit, where the turian ship was already docked. As far as Shepard could tell, no one had left the ship yet. None of the three admirals looked his way, so he decided to creep up behind Tali, and grab her waist while whispering, "Hello."

Tali jumped and turned sharply. "Keelah, John, why did you do that?" she asked, breathing heavily. "What is your problem?" Shepard said nothing, grinning and chuckling. He nodded at Raan and Koris, who nodded back. He could swear Koris was grinning. "What are you doing here?"

"Got a message about the ship that arrived. Thought I'd come check it out."

Tali crossed her arms. "This better not just be Garrus coming for a visit."

Shepard grinned wider. "No, its not Garrus."

There was no time for Tali to continue her questioning, as the airlock opened and a procession of turians marched out. Among such a crowd, Martin stood out easily, his dark brown hair shaggier than when he left. The turians lined up to the side, and Martin strode forward, looking every bit a man now. A faint stubble covered his cheeks and chin, he looked to have grown an inch, and he was wearing a grey suit with white trim. Shepard could hardly recognize his son. Martin wasn't allowed to be a grown man for long though, not when Tali saw him, squealed, and hurried forward to embrace him fiercely. Just like that, he was a kid again, and Tali's position as an Admiral took a backseat to her motherhood. "Oh Keelah, I'm so happy to see you! I wasn't expecting you! What are you doing here? Oh no, you're not in trouble are you? Did your father know you were coming? Of course he did, why didn't he tell me?" She turned and glared at him, and for a brief moment Shepard cowered. "You DID know! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I… thought it would be a good surprise?" Shepard said.

Tali continued to stare at him. "I'll deal with you later. So anyway, what you are doing here Martin? How is your Pilgrimage going?"

Martin grinned. "Well, that's why I'm here." He moved to the side, and ten turian soldiers walked by, two groups of five each carrying a crate six feet long and four inches wide. "I have my gift."

A loud gasp escaped the quarian woman's lips. "What is it?" Tali asked excitedly.

"Well, you know the battle I was involved in, that I told you and Dad about?" Tali nodded. "That battle was to retrieve equipment very important to the Hierarchy, and because of my performance in that battle, Garrus pulled some strings to allow me to present that cargo, some of it anyways, as my gift."

"I asked what it was, not how you got it," Tali said.

"Right," Martin said, rubbing his neck. "I'll admit I'm not sure what the details are, but it's a targeting system, newly developed by Humans, Turians, and Asari. These are prototypes, but other than the us, the only race that didn't develop the system that has this are the Krogans."

A long silence followed Martin's explanation, and Shepard could see that his son was nervous. Shepard was nervous as well. Maybe the manner with which he obtained his gift was not acceptable? He didn't know nearly as much about Pilgrimages as he should, and hoped his son had done nothing wrong. "We… we will start analyzing this technology immediately," Raan said, shocked. "This is a very worthy gift, Martin. We no longer present gifts to captains, but there will be a ceremony, where the Quarian people will celebrate your passage into adulthood. Congratulations."

Tali hugged Martin again. "Yes, congratulations," she said cheerily. "I could not be prouder of you, Martin." The embarrassment on the young man's face was priceless.

That night, Shepard and Tali heard every detail Martin could remember about his Pilgrimage. If his son had not been right in front of him, Shepard would have been a lot angrier about all the danger he had faced. It was amazing to hear how capable Martin proved himself to be. "How exactly are you so good at fighting?" Tali asked. She did not say a single word during the story, and outside of gasps of fear and worry, her presence might have been easily forgotten.

Martin shrugged. "Lots of training, I would assume. You guys did a good job preparing me."

"Oh please, we never expected you to ever face any danger like you have told us," Tali said. "Keelah, why didn't you ever tell us about any of this? We could have helped you."

When Martin looked at Shepard, asking with a look whether you should mention telling his dad about some of these fights, he gave a look that made it clear Martin should keep that to himself. "We may not have expected it, but we trained him just in case. You never really know, as we both know from experience."

"That's true," Tali admitted. "Still, I wish he had said something."

"And what would he have done? Did your dad come running when you were in trouble on your Pilgrimage? Is that even allowed?" Tali glared at him. "He's safe, hon. No point in worrying now, when its over."

"Fine," Tali said. She smiled, and stood up to hug Martin again. "You deserve an amazing dinner. You've proven yourself in a great way, and I doubt you were eating anything good while you were away from home, were you?"

Martin scoffed. "Outside of a night or two at Garrus' house, I've been eating crap. I had to spend my own credits just to have food I could eat that wasn't grey sludge being passed off as a hamburger or pasta."

"Then we will cook for you," Tali insisted.

During dinner, T-bone steaks, green beans, and rice, with Tali content to only eat fruit and a salad, it was Shepard and Tali's turn to tell everything that had and was still happening while Martin was away. It was funny to see him react the same way they had hearing Martin's story. "Crap, maybe I should have stayed on Pilgrimage another month," the young man joked.

"Maybe you should have," Shepard said, not joking at all.

"You really think that I would have been safer out there, after hearing everything I went through?" Martin rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll tell me there's nothing I can do to help."

"There's nothing you can do," Tali told him. "Not unless we go to war, and you somehow break out of the house and enlist in the military. And I will NOT let that happen."

"Yeah, yeah," Martin muttered.

Tali tried to stay awake after dinner, but barely lasted half an hour before she dozed off on the couch. Once Shepard had carried her to bed and tucked her in, he returned to the living room, where Martin was watching a local news channel on the television. Predictably, the story was about the situation with the Geth. "This thing with the Geth is really this bad?" Martin asked.

Shepard took a seat next to his son. "It is. I don't even know all the details, but Tali is freaked out. She's barely getting a good night of sleep anymore. You coming home will help. It will help me, which will take some worry off her mind. When you messaged me about the battle against the ones who took that cargo, first thing I did was get angry and freak out. Next thing I did was get drunk. That didn't help things, obviously."

"Hah, sorry," Martin apologized with a grin. "Damn, I thought things would be boring when I came home."

"Hopefully they will be," Shepard said. "But I'm not going to be blind about this. You need to be ready in case shit goes south. We don't know what the Geth have planned, for all we know we'll be woken up tonight with news that some massive Geth army is invading, and if that happens, you need to be prepared to fight in a moment. From the sounds of your Pilgrimage, you can manage that."

"Absolutely," Martin assured. His eyes displayed the gratitude he felt at the trust his father was showing.

"That's my boy."

* * *

Waking up in his own bed, without any orders being barked at him, no immediate responsibilities to take care of, Martin felt a relief and happiness he had not felt since the morning he woke up on Eden Prime, Yala curled up next to him. That was still a slightly better morning, because he was with his girlfriend, but this was just fine.

No one else was up and around when he was dressed and left the house, though the car was gone, suggesting Tali had gotten up and left to fulfill her responsibilities for the day. Probably checking out the targeting system he had brought them. Martin hoped it was useful. With no destination in mind, he began walking through the neighborhood. A few others were outside, either walking down the street themselves or working in their yards. All of them looked his way, some of them nodding at him or saying hello as he walked by. A few stopped to congratulate him on a successful Pilgrimage. Ton'Berral and his bondmate Xene enthusiastically conversed with him about various things. It felt normal, yet very strange. Before his Pilgrimage, he was treated courteously enough, but outside of his close group of friends, no one went out of their way to talk to him. Everyone he saw was at least acknowledging him. Jona's foster parents stopped to talk to him as well, and he found out his friend was doing fine on his Pilgrimage, though there had been rough moments. Everyone had those rough moments, apparently, which was probably one of the main reasons the Pilgrimage was still held, to let young adults deal with the difficulties in life on their own. He asked for the address to contact Jona, and made a mental note to send his friend a message when he arrived back at home.

After leaving his neighborhood and making his way towards the downtown area of Tikdara, Martin found the atmosphere of the people he saw to be much different. Everyone was tense, with little conversation to be heard. At least half the people walking kept their gaze to the ground, watching their feet. Up until that point, he wasn't sure if he believed what his parents had told him about the situation with the Geth, if it was really as serious as they believed. Now he was thought it may even be more serious than that. Every news terminal read about no news other than the latest updates allowed to the media about the Geth and Gerrel's upcoming trial, which would begin tomorrow. It was hard not to fall into that same depression pervading the air everywhere he went. Martin's legs began to grow weary, and he realized an hour and a half had passed since he left home. Dad was probably awake and wondering where he was by now.

The suit he chose to wore was the same as he was wearing when he got off the ship yesterday. He liked it, and it was easily the most suitable clothes he had for this occasion. Dad chose his Alliance dress suit, of course, he always wore an Alliance dress blues. Tali had two separate envirosuits for special functions like this, one of two shades of purple, like her normal suit, and the other of black and yellow. She chose the purple. Martin and his father were made to stand in the living room for Tali's inspection, and she approved. It made Martin feel like he was fifteen again. "I'm so proud of you, I know I've said that a few times now but I really am," Tali said.

"Thank you, again," Martin said.

She smiled, and placed her visor over her face. "Okay, let's go. Better enjoy this tonight. Who knows when the next time we can celebrate will be."


	25. Chapter 25

**LLOOOOOONNNNGGG chapter. With chapters this long, there may be parts where I made mistakes and didn't catch them. If there's a bad mistake, let me know. Enjoy!**

* * *

Tali was the first to arrive at the courtroom, a surprisingly small room with only enough room for about thirty people. For a trial such as this one, that was not a large amount. Shepard told her of trials on Earth where hundred of people could watch in attendance, and she had personally seen the Council hold session, where upwards of a hundred could be seen. The courtroom was very similar to the area on the Rayya where she had been put on trial for treason. A walkway led from the door to a set of stairs, which led down to a podium for the accused and their counselor stood. On a raised platform, five consoles were in place where the Admiralty would oversee the trial and listen as the accused presented their evidence. Benches were built into the ground in a semi-circle around the courtroom to sit. Where there was not a path, neatly cut grass covered the ground. Along every wall except where the entrance stood, plants and small trees grew from the ground, the largest brushing the ceiling. Unlike the drab, basic plant life back on the Rayya, simple green and with little variety, this courtroom was a blossom of colors, green leaves and petals of red, white, blue, yellow, every color in the world. Some were bushes, with blossoms sprouting from the dense thicket. Some were flowers, small and fragile. One tree was a fruit tree, with small little buds of green beginning to grow and thick orbs of yellow and orange hanging heavily, ready to fall at any moment.

The temptation to take off her visor was too much, and she did so eagerly. The fragrances of the room assaulted her sense of smell before the irritating piece of reinforced glass was away from her face. It made her so happy to see such signs of life everywhere. She had seen enough of cold, lifeless steel on ships while growing up. Walking over to the wall to her right, she knelt and inhaled, the beautiful scent of the flowers below intoxicating. She would have to ask what type these were, and get some for her own garden. As she walked the perimeter of the courtroom, looking at the plants and flowers, her mind turned to the trial that day. Gerrel had been the only thing on her mind all night, to the point she could not sleep, wondering how the trial would play out. The evidence was overwhelming. They had brought in Hana'Klitschk, who was hiding out in a dirty, low-income apartment building, and the woman had promised to speak against Gerrel in return for no charges being brought up against her. The remnants of the 66th and 67th would also speak against the former Admiral. Gerrel himself would not deny his actions, Tali was sure. Yet the trial itself was not what worried her. It was the aftermath. What would happen when they passed down Gerrel's sentence? What sentence should they give him? She wished the answers were obvious, or that at the very least Raan and Koris had a better idea of what to do than she did.

By the time they arrived, Tali's visor was back in place and she was looking over reports from various captains on her omnitool, trying to keep busy. The first of the spectators began arriving soon after, and the moment for the trial to begin was suddenly upon Tali. The three remaining Admirals shared a quick glance with one another, and the order was given to the nearby bailiff to bring Gerrel into the courtroom. He was led in without handcuffs, head held high, back straight, dignity and power in his stance one would expect from a man of absolute power and respect, not a disgraced man facing exile or death. He had no counselor, having declined the option the day before when he was informed of the date of his trial. A swell of voices murmuring occupied Gerrel to his podium, where he rested both hands and stared up at his former colleagues. Tali was the only one to meet his eyes. "Blessed are the Ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai," Raan began, and the responses of "Keelah se'lai," followed. "The accused, Han'Gerrel vas Neema, will be defending himself against the charge of treason. He has denied the right to counsel. Do you still deny this right, Han' Gerrel?"

"Yes," Gerrel said, voice clear, loud authoritative. His gaze still had not moved from the three admirals in front of him.

"And what say you to the charge of treason?"

"Not guilty. Everything I've done has been for the good of the Quarian people. All I want is to protect them from an enemy that will drive us from the homeworld, if given the chance. I am guilty of nothing."

Raan nodded, and Hana'Klitschk was escorted into the room.

* * *

"Keelah, that's a lot of Geth," the young man to Shepard's right said.

"It most certainly is," Shepard said.

"And you fought them all off?"

"Not just fought them off, killed them." Shepard really didn't want to talk about fighting Geth right now. Besides those memories not being pleasant at all, he didn't want to romanticize the idea of fighting Geth. "No offense, but I really don't want to talk about it any more than that. Not exactly a pleasant memory."

"Oh, sorry. Of course, I'm sorry." The young quarian looked at the ground, and Shepard knew his attempt to not make Eden Prime sound amazing had failed. This guy next to him was probably daydreaming of such glory at that very moment.

Despite his protests, and his desire to be present at the trial, Tali wanted Shepard to join two squads following up a lead on the whereabouts of the 70th and 78th platoons. Satellite coverage indicated a possible sighting among the ruins of a small town tens of miles from Geth occupied territory, though it was known for a fact that same small town was empty on previous days. Still, it was the first sign since the disappearance of the two platoons, and hopefully they could find a trail of some kind. One hundred soldiers did not simply disappear, and they definitely left a trail.

When the shuttles landed, Shepard followed the others outside. The recent presence of soldiers was obvious immediately. Footsteps were still visible in the sand covering the roads, as were the imprints of transports and armored vehicles. Wrappers, containers, and bottles blew along the street, recently discarded. This shouldn't be hard, Shepard thought. From the look of things, the 70th and 78th did nothing to hide the fact they had been here.

An hour of searching proved that assumption to be true. For some reason, the two platoons had left the town in a haste, judging by the open doors and rations with food still in them. A clear trail led off to the northeast, away from Geth occupied territory, which was a good sign. With shuttles to fly in, they caught up with the 70th and 78th in another hour, at another small town. Shepard wondered why there were so many small towns on Rannoch, and asked Captain Ozet'Wlaz, an older man and a true history buff judging by what little conversation Shepard had with him. "We've always been a close-knit people," Ozet told him. "The harsh realities of Rannoch's climate made areas of population limited, but we still preferred smaller, more familial societies to large cities."

"But you eventually formed such large cities, like Tikdara. These small towns weren't swallowed into these cities, or leveled to make room for other things?"

"Oh no," Ozet said, as if the very idea was preposterous. "There was no reason to, and we believed deeply in preserving such areas. They were still inhabited in the days before we were forced to leave, usually by farmers. If anything, advances in technology allowed for more small towns, as the necessities could be provided further away from rivers and lakes and tillable land." Shepard found that very interesting, and sad. The Quarian people had been forced to change in such drastic ways when they were exiled, it was truly unfair. He wondered if they were all following the same pattern as the Quarians did in the months preceding their exile. With a newfound determination, he refused to let that happen. Even if it came to war, he would not accept the woman he loved and the people she was so dedicated to being forced to go through that again.

They landed the shuttles half a mile from the outer defensive perimeter, to be sure no one would take shots at them or potentially shoot them down. The pilot claimed not to see any defenses capable of doing so, and assured Shepard they would recognize the shuttles, but the former Spectre wanted to be sure. It was possible, maybe likely, that these two platoons would be on edge and ready to shoot at anything. Besides, Gerrel may have told them to react hostilely to anyone who tried to bring them in. Shepard approached the defensive perimeter with Ozet and Jota'Yen, the two captains who accompanied him on the search. The others stayed behind with the shuttles, with the orders to retreat and bring reinforcements if anything went wrong. The quarians on guard held assault rifles, but did not so much as lift them. "We want to talk to your platoon leaders," Shepard said. Another soldier approached, and wordlessly motioned for Shepard and the captains to follow.

It was quickly obvious who was in charge. The two platoon leaders were the only ones saying anything, as they talked over a map on a table, stopping once to give orders to the other soldiers around them. The soldier escorting Shepard and the captains motioned for them to wait, and walked ahead to his superiors. Shepard could see the eyes of both platoon leaders squint behind their visor as they regarded the newcomers. With a nod, one dismissed the escort. "I'm sure you know why we are here," Shepard said.

"We'd have to be idiots not to," the platoon leader on the left said. "I'm Lieutenant Kal'Kotra."

"I'm Second Lieutenant Len'Narto," the second one said.

"We will not be going back," Kal said, in a tone that made it clear he would not be convinced. "When Admiral Han'Gerrel's trial is over, the order will be given, whether he is exiled or not, to strike at the Geth. There is no turning back now."

"You can turn back," Shepard said. "You must turn back from the path you're on, unless you want to see the blood of your people drench the sands of your homeworld. Its over, the only thing your actions can accomplish is to doom your people to exile once more."

"So I keep hearing," Kal said. "Yet what I know is that the full strength of the Quarian military stands millions strong. These geth cannot hope to match those numbers. I have a clear conscience if war breaks out. I would not have a clear conscience if the Geth attack later with millions of their own."

Shepard had heard these same arguments already. It was the pro-war crowd's slogan, for all intents and purposes: Fight Them Now or Die to Them Later. "Han'Gerrel lied to you. The Geth do not want war. If you attack, you will die, and no one will march to avenge you. Your deaths would be senseless, and serve no purpose."

"I do not believe that. Maybe there is no fight today. Maybe you are right for a few years. But I know that if my men and I strike now, we will be doing the right thing. I have served Han'Gerrel for two decades. I have been at his side through so much, and I have more faith in him than the rest of the Admiralty combined. I respect and admire him even more than I do you, Commander Shepard."

Shepard closed his eyes, willing away his urge to yell, grab these two men, and drag them back to Tikdara and their families. "I cannot leave without your platoons."

Len'Narto looked over at his fellow platoon leader. "You would not be allowed to leave if you wanted to." Shepard had no time to react before a gun was pressed into his back. He heard gasps from the captains next to him as soldiers appeared seemingly from nowhere, all aiming their rifles at them. "Take them to the house. Post three guards outside their room."

"You stupid fucking son of a bitch," Shepard hissed, unbelieving of what was happening. "There's no way back from this. You've ruined yourselves."

Kal lowered his head for a moment, before staring into Shepard's eyes. "Rannoch is more important than us. We cannot let you go back and bring reinforcements to either arrest or kill us."

"They are going to arrest you anyway!" Shepard argued.

"But they won't kill us. Not while we hold you captive."

* * *

As usual, Martin was finding Han'Gerrel's trial completely boring. For some reason he thought he might find this one intriguing, thought it would find it enlightening to watch, but despite being better than an Earth trial or a Council session, and nowhere near as complicated, he was bored within an hour. Three hours in, he was considering leaving, but knew he probably shouldn't. Not like anyone was allowed in the room to see this, he should show more respect for Tali letting him than to leave. The one fascinating aspect of the trial so far, for Martin anyway, was watching Han'Gerrel. You would never know the dire circumstances he was facing to look at him. The disgraced admiral held his head high, spoke clearly and authoritative, and defended himself passionately, especially in the first two hours. He did not deny his actions, but rather defended them. There were changes over the last hour, however. Gerrel's voice was not as strong, his arguments not as persuasive. His shoulders slumped just slightly, and he did not meet the eyes of the Admiralty with unwavering focus the way he had been. Martin thought the old soldier was possibly beginning to crack.

One good thing was that the trial would end far quicker than one anywhere else in the galaxy, a heartbeat compared to an Earth trial. After four hours, the Admiralty had no more evidence, and it was Gerrel's turn to defend himself. The former admiral had no evidence to present, and simply skipped to his final argument. He turned to the crowd, and Martin could swear he saw tears in the man's eyes. "I spent decades fighting the Geth. They were my enemy, defeating them the purpose of my life. My reputation, my position among the Quarian people, it was built on my victories over the Geth. The day we took back Rannoch remains the happiest of my life. I spent ten years believing the Geth to be gone after the Crucible fired. To know they were back, and that the memories that once made them peaceful and cooperative with us were gone, I could only think of protecting you all, of protecting my family and the families of everyone on this planet. I did not do what I did out of a need for war, or a need for glory or respect. I did what I did because I thought it was necessary."

The room had gone silent, all eyes on Gerrel. Martin snuck a quick glace at Tali, whose face appeared to be no different than it had been during the entire trial. "We have a long history with the Geth, and other than one moment, one all too brief, almost dreamlike moment, that history has been one of hostility, violence, servitude, rivalry. We have never been able to cooperate. When we finally did cooperate, it was only because the Geth had Reaper programming that changed their fundamental nature, and made them more than Geth, different than Geth. Those machines I have fought are not the same as the ones that died when the Crucible fired, and the only future I could imagine was one where a single species lived on this planet. The longer we waited, the longer we allowed them to rebuild their numbers, the lower the odds that we would win the eventual war."

"I know that I am responsible for much grief, and have knowingly sent men and women out to fight, knowing that many of them would die. That is the responsibility and the burden involved with my position. I know many of you consider me to be some evil man, inventing foes to justify my need for war. You could not be more wrong. The last decade, on the homeworld, has been the greatest of my life. I wanted it as much, dare I say more, than anyone else in this room, anyone else on this planet. The past ten years were the dream in my head during all those years in the Flotilla, scheming up fruitless plans of how to take the homeworld back. I am no monster. I am not evil. I am a man who cares for the future of his people, and I will not apologize for my actions, all of which were to keep us all safe!"

Gerrel turned back to the Admiralty Board, shoulders raised, head again held high. "While I believe I did the right thing, I did not do so in the right way. I tried to force you all to see my point of view, to force you into conflict. I will accept whatever punishment is handed down to me. If I am allowed to stay among my people, I can only promise to continue doing what I have always done, which is protect the Quarian people. If I am exiled, then I promise that when the time comes that the Geth initiate violence, and we are again fighting for this planet, I will be back, and I will again do whatever is necessary to win that fight, like I always have." With that, Gerrel returned to his podium, and awaited the next word from the Admiralty.

The three admirals stood silently at their consoles, only sharing a quick glance. "We will convene for thirty minutes," Raan said. "Han'Gerrel is to remain here until such a time, when we will pass down his sentence." Martin watched them leave, and listened as the murmurs began immediately, everyone standing from their seats to wander and talk.

* * *

"Keelah, he's good," Tali said, after five heated minutes of discussion. "He certainly has us split." Koris, of course, maintained that Gerrel should be exiled, and went so far as to wonder if Gerrel should be sentenced to death to assure he caused no future problems. Raan was willing to stick with exile, and nothing else. Tali was the only one who changed her mind. She still wanted to punish Gerrel, but not with exile. Why not strip him of his rank, but let him live the rest of his days in peace?

"You're the only one letting him split us. Shala and I still want him exiled."

"He's earned more respect than you're giving him. At the very least I say we put this to a vote amongst the captains, whether he is exiled or simply stripped of his rank. I'm not saying he goes unpunished."

"Tali," Raan began, using the tone she always used when trying to convince someone of something, a mix between understanding and condescending. "This incident has taught us that he has many who will listen to him, and carry out any plan he formulates out of respect and idolization for him. It is too dangerous to let him stay on Rannoch, and it would be cruel to keep him in a cell or make him live far away from civilization. Exile is the best option."

Raan already said this, and Tali had already argued against it. She was about to do so again when a frantic knocking outside the door of the office made all of the admirals jerk their heads that way. "What is it?" Koris called out.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I must speak with you immediately." Oh Keelah, Tali thought, what has happened now? She stood and opened the door. It was apparent something was very wrong when a breathless Quarian soldier hurried inside, "This just came in over our communications." He typed a few keys on his omnitool, and held his arm up.

"HQ, this is Sergeant Kizo'Povesk, 45th Platton, First Battalion. Contact has been made with the 70th and 78th Platoons, in a town called Neeza, thirty miles northeast of Geth territory. Commander Shepard and Captains Ozet'Wlaz and Jota'Yen have been taken hostage and are under heavy guard within the town. Reinforcements are requested." The message repeated itself once more before the quarian delivering the message ended it. Tali's mouth hung open, and rage built deep within her. Raan must have seen the rage immediately, as she dismissed the messenger and placed both hands on Tali's shoulders. "I know you are angry, but stay calm. Rash reaction will not help. We must think of a calm response, and a peaceful plan to free them."

Calm!? Peaceful!? Tali wanted nothing more than to charge into this small town the two platoons were occupying and lay waste to them all with her shotgun. Luckily, age had made her wiser than she might have been in the same situation five or ten years earlier. "If we could convince Gerrel to tell the platoon leaders to stand down, they would probably listen to him. That is our best option."

Koris took a few steps closer to them. "I agree."

Raan nodded. "Okay. Then we talk to Gerrel."

The loud murmurs when the Admiralty asked to see Gerrel in private did not disappoint Tali's expectations. She could only imagine the rumors flying around the courtroom at that moment. Gerrel did not react or at least a minute after the situation had been explained and he had been asked if he could convince the platoon leaders to release their captives. When he finally did speak, leaning forward in his chair and placing his hands on the table in front of him, he said, "This was not my directive. I promise that I never told them to take any who found them captive."

"Whether you did or not does not matter," Raan said calmly. "Are you willing to talk them down?"

"Yes," Gerrel said immediately. "There is no good to come from taking captives, especially such good people as these. I want to fight Geth, not each other."

* * *

The room was comfortable, with two mattresses to sleep on and a desk to sit at. There was no air conditioning to keep the heat of the day from making Shepard sweat, but the temperature that day was not unbearable. Two hours had passed now, and reinforcements were surely on the way, if they had not arrived already. The former Spectre was still trying to comprehend the reasoning behind the actions the platoon leaders had taken. They couldn't possibly believe that taking captives would make it LESS likely they would suffer sever consequences for their actions, could they? Shepard and the captains taken hostage with him were not given an opportunity to talk to anyone since the moment they were taken captive, and none of them wasted their breath trying either. Shepard was actually impressed with the calm in the captains in the room with him. "How much action have you seen, Ozet?" he asked.

"Enough. I fought geth for about thirty years, culminating in us taking back Rannoch. Never had any real individual glory, but I was reliable, and did my job well enough. I have the scars and bad memories."

Shepard nodded. "How about you, Jota?" Jota'Yen was younger than Shepard, but not by many years.

"My first action was, let's see…About three years before we took back the homeworld. I was a grunt in that fight, running around a ship doing whatever my captain told me to do. I didn't make captain until about five years ago."

"That's a very quick ascent, from grunt to captain in that short a time."

Jota shrugged, her eyes meeting his. "There was a lot of death during those fights against the Geth and then the Reapers. I did well enough to move up the chain and replace those we lost, and just kind of made captain after that. I couldn't explain exactly how. There was a lot of anger at first, but I'm a good people person, and those under my command respect me."

Shepard was glad to have such capable people in this room with him. He shouldn't have expected any less when they were handpicked by the Admiralty Board. The three of them continued to share stories, mostly Shepard ended up telling tales of his accomplishments, when the door to their room opened and Kal'Kotra walked in. "Shepard, you're coming with me," he ordered, and Shepard didn't resist. His hands were bound behind his back at the wrist, and Kal led the way while two others kept hold of Shepard's arms, pulling him along. The sun was a little too bright outside the house, making Shepard squint, but he adjusted quickly. He was pulled along for fifteen minutes, all the way to the edge of the town, just inside the defensive perimeter Shepard and the captains had passed earlier that day.

There they waited until two shuttles landed nearby, and right away Shepard knew what was happening. When Tali exited one of the shuttle with four armed soldiers at her side, he only hoped things would not get violent. "Hey, babe," he said as she approached, smirking stupidly.

As he hoped, the tension in her body eased. "Hello, Shepard," she said, the use of his last name telling him Tali was trying to stay as professional as possible. She turned her gaze to the Kal'Kotra, eyes flaring with intensity behind her visor. "Release your hostages, come with us, and I can promise that the penalties for your actions will remain tame. You will remain in the military, you will only move down one or two ranks, and your men will not be held accountable."

"I don't believe you. If we release our hostages, we will all be court-martialed and eventually exiled, just like Admiral Han'Gerrel."

"Did Han'Gerrel give you the order to take those who came to retrieve you captive?"

/There was a brief pause, Kotra's eyes searching Tali's. "No. What has happened to the Admiral?"

"That is none of your concern at the moment. You need to release your hostages, and come with us."

"No."

Tali was frowning, Shepard could tell. "You realize the consequences of your refusal?"

Kal'Kotra nodded, and Tali whispered something to one of the soldiers to her left. Shepard began looking around, formulating a plan in case a fight broke out right now. Kal's men apparently had the same idea, aiming their guns at Tali. "Tali, please…" Shepard said. She held up a hand, quieting him. Another figure exited the second shuttle, and walked their way. Kal took a slight step back when he recognized Han'Gerrel.

Shepard would have never guessed that Gerrel was a disgraced former admiral to look at him at that moment. He looked as proud as ever. "Admiral Gerrel, are you okay? What's happening?" Kotra asked.

"You need to stand down, Kal. I never told you to do this. All you are accomplishing is making our cause look worse."

"But sir, we are so close. If we push a little further…"

"You will kill yourselves, and your men, and the other Admirals will not so much as lift a finger to avenge you. You have been given your way out, they have no reason to feel guilty if you continue on and get yourselves killed anyway."

Kal looked away, angry snorts audible behind his visor. "How can we be sure they won't arrest and exile us all?"

"You can't. But I have no choice but to trust them. Neither do you. If the Geth attack, we will be there to save our people. Until then, all we can do is stay vigilant. Now stand down." Kal let out a few more grunts, searching for the words, but ultimately nodded. Gerrel in turn nodded at Tali, who gave the orders to take the platoon leaders into custody.

* * *

The crowd was no less numerous when Tali and the admirals returned to the courtroom, where Gerrel was already standing back at the defendant's podium. Now, though, he was joined by Kal'Kotra and Len'Narto, who had already pled guilty to the charges against them. Raan cleared her throat to quiet the room. "Han'Gerrel, you have been found guilty of the charge of treason, and are stripped of rank and forbidden from military service. We sincerely hope you can find peace in this next stage of your life." Raan paused before continuing. Kal'Kotra, Len'Narto, you have been found guilty of conspiracy, and are demoted to the rank of Corporal. You will also be transferred to different units, without eligibility to advance in rank for five years. This hearing is concluded. Keelah se'lai."

Tali waited until the end of the day before asking the other Admirals to join her in her office. When they arrived, they were obviously expecting bad news. In a way, maybe this would be bad news to them. "Thank you for coming," she greeted them. They took a seat. "I have been thinking of how to tell you this. I guess I should just say it. I'm resigning from my position."

Surprisingly, the other two Admirals took the news in stride. "I expected you would want to walk away soon," Koris said.

"I did as well," Raan agreed. "I could see your increasing anger lately. It seems to be the right time."

Tali breathed a sigh of relief. "So you do not mind? I was so worried you would try to force me to stay. I still would stay, if talked me into it."

"No, its okay. I'll be honest, you were never cut out for this job, Tali," Raan said. "Authority comes easy to you, and you are always one to argue for doing the right thing, but this is a job that requires too much waiting around for you. Just because you are not an Admiral, doesn't mean you can't still be an important figure. You have my blessing to walk away."

Koris nodded in agreement. "I've been thinking of when I wanted to walk away as well. I've served for so long, and these latest incidents with both Daro and Han have pushed me to my limit. I've seen three friends die in this job now, and I have grown weary."

"Maybe its time for an entirely new Admiralty Board," Tali suggested, only half joking. If both she and Koris walked away, Raan would be the only one left. Koris laughed uneasily.

"Maybe," Raan said. "I'd hate to just walk away though. I always picture leaving this job after making some grand decision. Maybe I should walk away with you, let the new generation take control."

Tali smiled, though she knew her aunt couldn't see it. "That would be nice. You could live a normal life again. Its been a long time." Raan shrugged. "Well, I am walking away. I'm ready to be a civilian, at least for a few years."

Raan stood and hugged Tali. "Then you should. We all should, if we want to. We can announce the decision tomorrow, hold a vote a few days later, and move on with our lives. Why not?"

* * *

**Han'Gerrel ended up slightly redeeming himself. I tried to have some similarities between Gerrel and Loghain from Dragon Age, since they share a voice actor and strike me as kind of being the same (Geth/Orlais, both war heroes, both paranoid about the enemy they have fought their entire lives). I was trying to think of a way to incorporate Martin into this in some vital way, but there was no way I could think of that I liked. **

**One more chapter, and it will probably be close to as long as this one, if not as long. **


	26. Chapter 26

**Here we are, the grand finale. Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed.**

* * *

Yala was a burst of energy when she left the ship, making a beeline for her parents. She nearly knocked them to the ground when she hugged them, the three of them just barely staying on their feet. Once that reunion was over, the young woman strode quickly over to Martin and his parents, hugging each of them tightly, the hug for Martin lasting a little big longer than the others. Yala could see that Tali'Shepard and Commander Shepard both appeared surprised she had asked them to be there when she got off the ship, but she liked both of them very much and had missed them while on Pilgrimage. She missed talking with Tali'Shepard about her responsibilities as admiral, she missed the stories the Commander would tell when her, and the way he always chided her about calling him Commander Shepard. While she may not have had any right to expect anything, she was hoping Tali had planned some big dinner for her, because she liked to do that sometimes for special occasions.

Her wish ended up coming true, as a platter of various foods were waiting on a table back at Yala's home, well her parents' home actually. Crackers, chips, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, pastries, pies, far too much food for them to eat that day. The smell of roasting meat wafted from the kitchen, making her salivate. As if reading her thoughts, Yala's mother put an arm around her shoulders. "Yes, that's a roast in the oven," she said, and Yala had to close her mouth to keep the drool from dripping down her mouth.

The six of them snacked on the platters spread around the table while they talked, though the conversation was basically Yala talking nonstop about her Pilgrimage, only stopping when she ate something. Every once in a while someone would ask her a question, and set her off telling an entirely different story, even if she had never finished her previous story. On the way home she had thought of her Pilgrimage as boring, and wondered what she would end up talking about, but now that she was talking it was incredibly easy to find things to tell everyone. Mainly she talked about Hailey and Neema, and the trouble they always dragged her into, but she also told of the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Ward, and how beautiful Eden Prime was. That beauty did not compare to being back on Rannoch though, and she said as much. She knew it was obvious she had missed home, a lot.

No one ate much of the roast, having filled up on the snacks and desserts beforehand, but they all managed a few bites out of courtesy. It was delicious, of course, as her mom's food always was. After they were finished, Tali'Shepard and the Commander went home, while Martin stayed to talk a little longer. It was him that caught her up on everything that had happened with Gerrel and the Geth and the vote for the five new members of the Admiralty Board. Yala could not believe so much had happened, without her ever hearing about it from anyone. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" she asked angrily. "This isn't something small you would just forget to mention when we talked or messaged each other."

Martin looked away sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. A stupid habit he picked up from his father, Yala thought, annoyed. "I didn't want to worry you. I didn't know about any of it until I came home from Pilgrimage, and by that point everything was over. Nothing happened to your parents, so I figured waiting was the best option." When she kept glaring at him, Martin slumped in his seat. "Sorry."

"I'll forgive you, just this once," Yala said. "So Han'Gerrel isn't even allowed in the military anymore?"

Martin shook his head. "He's taken it surprisingly well, to hear Tali tell it. I guess he was at the same point the rest of them were, just sick of being in that position of power. I don't exactly talk to Han myself, so I can't say how he's doing for sure." Yala hoped he was okay. Han'Gerrel had done a terrible thing, but he was still a hero, a man who gave so much for the Quarian people.

The weariness of the day began to catch up to Yala, the late afternoon sun slanting through the windows. She could feel her eyes drooping, and her head nodding, despite her efforts to fight it. Martin helped her up, and led her to her bedroom, where he tucked her in and kissed her on the cheek. "Where are you going?" she asked sleepily.

"Home. Why?"

"Can you stay here tonight?"

"And watch you sleep? Where's the fun in that?" he joked.

Yala forced herself to sit up, and pulled Martin down onto the bed. "You have another girlfriend I should know about?" she joked back at him.

Martin kissed her on the lips this time, gently. "Like I would admit that." He smiled at her and lay on the bed with her, the two cuddling close. "Welcome home."

Yala's eyes closed again. "Mhm."

* * *

The joyous tone to the captains' voices were so sweet to hear. Thinking about it, Tali couldn't remember the last time she had heard everyone speak cordially to each other. Laughing, joking, using courtesies, no one yelling over anyone else, it was remarkable. When Tali entered, everyone she walked by greeted her cheerfully. That came as a surprise as well. The news of the official truce with the Geth had not been unanimously supported, the vote passing by single digit votes. A month later, with a working, peaceful relationship with the Geth officially established, including the exchange of technology to prove their goodwill, most the captains had dropped their protests. Things were almost back to the way they were before the Reapers attacked, that blissful moment of triumph and peace.

Tali took her place in a seat in the front row of the Conclave Chamber, feeling slightly out of place. She had grown use to those seats up front, facing the entirety of the representatives of her people, every eye focused on her and her fellow admirals. Some supported her, some hated her, but they all listened. Thinking about it, maybe she was glad to be down here. At the moment, no one was in the Admiralty's seats, as no one had been elected to those spots. That was the purpose of the Conclave's meeting that day, to decide who would take those five seats. The meeting started the same as all Conclave meetings, with a single captain saying the traditional words to open the session. Afterwards, the lists of candidates assembled over the past two weeks was announced, and their credentials listed. The captains who put their names forward made their cases, those opposed did the same, and after three long hours the votes were made, every captain in the room making the choice on their omnitool, the results sent to a console at the head of the room.

Tali made her choices quickly, having decided a week ago who she would like to advance to the Admiralty. Vilat'Xint was a seasoned captain of forty years, calm, reasonable, willing to listen to anyone. Lia'Vael was young, but one of Tali's favorites, a woman who had risen quickly in rank over the years, and proven herself over and over both in battle and Conclave meetings. Ryon'Baal was a fiery man, but a great soldier and brilliant strategist, something that would be needed if the Geth ever did move against them. Veeto'Yoritch was one of few great scientists Daro'Xen did not take with her, and a shoe-in to take her place it seemed. Finally, Tali used her final vote on an unconventional choice, but one she had spoken personally for, Palo'Neir. Palo was young, only a few years older than Lia'Vael, but he was capable in every way. He was a charismatic speaker, a proven soldier, knowledgeable about everything an Admiral would need to be informed about. Unfortunately, he was not very good at making friends, and showed little interest in doing so. That was bad news for his chances, as politics was often a game of popularity. Still, Tali hoped the others could see past Palo's unfriendliness and vote him to Admiral.

It was past lunch hour when the votes were finally over and the Conclave left the chamber. A fierce hunger rumbled in Tali's stomach, and she was considering where to go to eat when a finger tapped her shoulder. She turned to see her Auntie Raan, why did she still consider her Auntie Raan, she's too old to call anyone Auntie, standing there with Lia'Vael. "Are you as hungry as we are?" Raan asked.

"Keelah, yes," Tali answered.

"How's _Brailt _sound?" _Brailt _was a reasonably priced restaurant near the capital building. Tali nodded eagerly, already deciding she would order a pasta dish.

Tali talked very little as she ate, too busy filling her empty stomach. At some point she stopped paying attention to what Shala and Lia were saying, and when she looked up they were watching amusedly. "Keelah, you're every bit the pig you were as a little girl," Auntie Raan teased. Tali blushed. "I'm assuming you did not hear anything Lia just asked you."

"It's okay," Lia said. "Not like she'd volunteer either."

"Volunteer for what?" Tali asked.

Shala and Lia exchanged a look. "Well, we've finally completed the list of casualties from those that died during the recent, um, events with Daro'Xen and Han'Gerrel," Lia said gravely. "Now its up to us to deliver the news to their family members. Unfortunately, some of the dead were survived only by their children." Tali understood the hesitation. Identifying the dead, sometimes with nothing to go by but blood splatters and odd pieces of gore, had been difficult enough. Informing some poor child that their parents were dead and having to process them into the orphanage system was heartbreaking work. "I know this isn't exactly pleasant talk over lunch, I'm sorry."

"Its okay, have to talk about it at some point," Tali said.

Of course, they talked her into sharing the burden. An hour later, Tali found herself scrolling through names on data pads, finding out what children had relatives to take custody of them and which did not. Once that was settled, it was time for the heartbreaking responsibility of driving to the group homes where the children were being held and telling them the horrible news. Tali had somehow let herself be talked into talking to the children who would be entering orphanages, of course, since it was the one part no one wanted to do. The responses from each of the children were predictable: they would try to remain strong, until Tali placed a hand on their shoulder, and then they started to sob violently, bodies shaking as they buried their heads in their hands. The only thing that held Tali together was that many of the children were teenagers, the youngest being ten. They all managed to get themselves together after enough time, and forced smiles.

The final child proved to be the one that broke Tali as well. A small girl entered the room, clutching a stuffed mavad, it's fur brown and fluffy. She was a skinny thing, very cute though. Her hair was cut short, a light brown, her eyes downcast, confused. "Hi there," Tali said, patting her thigh. The little girl did not hesitate to walk over and allow Tali to lift her to her knee. Now that it was time, Tali had no idea what to say. This girl could not be older than six, how do you tell someone so young that her parents were dead, and she would never see them again? "What is your name?" Tali asked.

"Nara," she answered, voice low, cautious. "Are you here about mommy and daddy? I heard other kids talking, older kids, about how some of their mommies and daddies were not coming back." Tali couldn't do it. No way she could say the truth. Nara noticed her silence, and looked down. "Mommy and daddy are not coming back, are they?"

Tali shook her head. "I'm sorry. You're mommy and daddy were very brave." They had been part of the squads hunting down Xen and her scientists. There had not been many casualties, but unfortunately both of this little girl's parents had been among them. "They loved you very much. If they could be here, they would. I know this hurts, but I need you to be strong, as strong as you can manage."

The little girl was fighting tears, and losing. "I want mommy," she sobbed. Tali hugged her close, letting Nara sob on her shoulder. "I want daddy," she said between sobs. They stayed that way for a long time, Tali not caring how much time passed.

* * *

"You cannot seriously be done already!" Shepard said. "I'm an old man, you can't handle me?'

"Fuck you," Martin breathed, trying to catch his breath. "You are not old, and I haven't had to spar anyone half so good since we last did this."

"And you forgot everything already?" Shepard shook his head. "Obviously you need another hour or two to remember." Martin groaned, and his father laughed.

The two of them went inside, and Shepard grabbed a couple of bottles of water. He noticed that the afternoon hour was late, and wondered where Tali was. It was never strange for her responsibilities to last longer than expected, but she usually let him know when that happened. He had just unscrewed the top off the bottle of water when the front door opened and Tali walked inside, leading a little Quarian girl by the hand. The little girl was not wearing a suit or anything, which would have struck Shepard as strange as recently as five or six years ago. These days, Quarian parents were growing more and more willing to let their children adapt to Rannoch's environment as soon as possible. Precautions were still taken, the children kept in clean rooms as much as possible and limited to an hour or two a day outside, but Shepard remembered the bubbles children were kept in whenever he saw them, which wasn't very often. "Hello there," Shepard said. "Who's this adorable girl?"

Tali was smiling, Shepard could tell. The little girl smiled faintly as well. "This is Nara," Tali introduced cheerily. "She's going to be staying with us for the next day or two. Nara, this is my bondmate John'Shepard, and our son Martin'Shepard."

"Hi," Nara greeted.

Shepard knew the look he saw in Tali's eyes. That look that said _we need to talk_. "Martin, why don't you show Nara around." Martin nodded and began walking over to the little girl while Shepard and Tali left for the bedroom. Shepard did not miss the lingering stare his bondmate gave towards their son and Nara. Once they were in their room, with the door closed, he waited for Tali to begin. When she didn't, he asked, "So, are you going to tell me what you're thinking, or keep staring at the door?"

"John, she's six years old and I had to tell her that her parents weren't coming back. This poor girl was going to be sent off to some group home, where she'd be ignored for however long it took to find her foster parents. If they ever did find any. I just, I didn't want that. So I arranged it so she can stay here until foster parents are found for her."

It did not take a genius to understand what Tali was truly thinking "And if suitable foster parents were never found…" Tali looked sheepishly up at him. He sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulder, Tali accepting the contact eagerly. "Are you absolutely sure?" Tali nodded vigorously. "If you still want to do this after two or three days, we'll talk again."

"Okay," Tali said. She wrapped her arms around his lower torso. "Thank you. I've always wanted a little girl. No offense, I love Martin, but it's different to have a girl, especially a quarian girl, and hopefully…"

"Tali," Shepard interrupted. "I get it." This was not the first time they had talked about adoption. Tali had dreamed of a little quarian girl for years. "Well, let's get out there. See what the kids are doing without adult supervision."

* * *

"Not bad, but let me show you again. You want to hit the ball with this part of your foot, okay?" Nara nodded, watching intently. "You do that, the ball will travel faster and be much harder to stop."

"I can kick the ball hard," Nara said. "That's not the problem. I can't get it to go where I want. Yala stops it every time."

Martin grinned, glancing over at his girlfriend, standing between two posts that represented the goal area. "That's because you hit the ball in the same spot, and it's easy to see where the ball is going. You want to hit the ball the way I showed you, but where you hit the ball determines where it will go." He placed his foot near the bottom of the ball. "If you hit it here, it will go high." He moved it slightly left, still near the bottom. "Here, it will go high and right. Here, it will stay on the ground, and you hit it to the right or left to determine where it goes. Okay?"

Nara crossed her arms and huffed her frustration. "Can you show me again?" Martin nodded, and took position. Yala bent her knees and flexed her fingers, he eyes focused intently on the ball. That's where he always got her. She didn't pay attention to him, only the ball. It was easy to trick her. She didn't claim to be the best goalkeeper, though. Martin took a couple of light hops, then one long stride, and struck the ball hard, placing it low and to his left. Yala expected the ball to go to her left, and dove in the opposite direction of the ball. Martin grinned, and Yala shook her head. "See, Nara?"

"I think so. Football is kind of hard," the little girl said.

"You're lucky Jona isn't here," Yala said. "Then you'd be the one looking bad." She grabbed the ball and threw it hard at him, the young human getting his hands in the way just before the ball rocketed into his stomach.

He was about to place it and let Nara give it another kick when Tali opened the backdoor of the house. "Come on Nara, time to come in." The little girl pouted, but there was no arguing with Tali. She waved goodbye to Martin and Nara, and hurried inside.

"She's so sweet," Yala said, walking over to Martin. "She seems to be doing okay."

All Martin could do was shrug. "We do our best to keep her happy. Tali has absolutely fallen in love with her."

"Well, yeah, she finally has a kid she likes," Yala teased. "So what's going to happen with her?"

"My parents are trying to adopt her," Martin told her. Neither of his parents had told him yet, but it was obvious in the way they treated her. They acted like her parents, not people watching over her until someone else came along. "They shouldn't have to try very hard. We're talking about John Shepard and Tali'Shepard here. I can personally attest that you won't find a much better home than they can give Nara."

"That has to be weird," Yala said. "Are you jealous?" she teased again.

Playing along, Martin crossed his arms and pouted. "They're my mom and dad," he whined.

"Aw, poor baby. Are you going to run away from home?"

"I don't know, you offering to let me stay with you?" Yala embarrassedly looked away, and he knew she was blushing. "She's a cool little girl, right? I won't be home much longer, Tali isn't an admiral anymore, this will be great for her as well. Dad will go along with it because he doesn't have much choice."

"Well, I like her," Yala stated. "Any idea what you're going to do now? Since your Pilgrimage is over?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you speak almost entirely in question form before," Martin said.

"Oh screw you then," Yala said.

The two of them laughed. "Before I went on Pilgrimage, I was thinking college, but I really don't want to do that now. I figure I could get a job on a ship, fixing things, maybe as an engineer if I can get Garrus to put in a good word for me. Maybe I could work on ships here on Rannoch. I'm definitely not going to run off and be a mercenary or anything, I had enough gunfights already. So stuff like that sounds good for at least a couple of years, maybe I'll go to college after that."

"That would suck if you went off to travel the galaxy on some ship," Yala said. "I'd never get to see you. There's no way I'd get a job like that with you. Bosh'tet."

Even though she was joking, she was telling the truth. Try as he might to be mature about his priorities, he had to admit that he had no idea what he wanted to do, mainly because of Yala. At the very least, he could wait a few months. With Nara in the house, his parents would be busy enough that he could fly under their radar. "We'll figure it out," Martin promised, kissing her visor and chuckling when she wiped it with the back of her hand.

"You better figure something out," she said, mocking sternness in her tone. "I'm not going to let you just leave and find some slut to take my place."

The two of them hugged, and Yala removed her visor for a quick kiss as well. Once she was gone, Martin went inside, where Tali was eating lunch with Nara. The little girl eyed the food on her plate skeptically, trying little bites while Tali tried to convince her it was good. With every bite, Nara surrendered a little more. Martin had to admit, having a little sister was kind of cool, even if she wasn't officially his little sister yet. Nara was somewhat reserved, as if she expected the situation she found herself in to change at any moment, but that just made her moments of happiness more enjoyable. She took an interest in sports, though she was easily frustrated at her inability to do everything Martin and his friends could, as that day had proved. When you could get her to play a game, she was a lot of fun, and had this squeaky laugh that was really cute. Tali was already starting to turn her into a technophile, which was something else Martin had in common with Nara. So yeah, all things considered he definitely approved of his little sister. Maybe another three weeks would change his mind.

* * *

Shepard had no immediate complaints either. Maybe he didn't get as much of Tali's time as he would otherwise, but Nara made Tali happy, and a happy Tali was something Shepard wanted as much of as possible. The idea of a daughter was so strange that he did find himself needing time to grow used to it. A daughter? Now? It was so sudden that he couldn't describe at all how he really felt about it. He was taking to Nara quickly, it was hard not to. As a parent, knowing what happened to her parents and how she could not truly understand, it broke his heart. Nara was so vulnerable, so resistant to trust the situation she found herself in, that Shepard's natural want to help people couldn't resist the challenge. It didn't take very long after that for him to love the little girl just as much as Tali did. Well, maybe not that much, because it was hard to imagine anyone loving another person the way Tali loved those she cared about, a group that now included Nara.

The former Spectre's thoughts were interrupted when his beautiful bondmate walked into the hallway, as always waiting until the last possible moment to lock her visor into place. She sighed, a single lock of hair falling next to her eye, which she tucked away. "Are you sure we should bring her?" Tali asked, not for the first time.

"I am," Shepard said. "Nara's come a long way in the last month. She'll be fine."

Tali crossed her arms. "If you're wrong, you will not be sleeping in my bed tonight."

Many of the mourners had already arrived by the time Shepard, Tali, and their children stepped out of their car, all of them dressed in black. Nara was wearing an envirosuit for only the second time, and her discomfort was obvious by the way she constantly reached for the visor, stopped every time by Tali or Shepard. Martin stayed close, a somber expression on his face. They were ignored for the most part, the only acknowledgment of their arrival being the occasional nod in their direction. Some of the family, friends, and children had already broken down. The Shepards took their seats in the front row, and Shepard donned the steeliest expression he could manage. The new Admiralty Board, which Tali had bragged about, since they were all captains she had voted for, began their collective speech, extolling the bravery of all those that died.

After the ceremony was over, Tali went to each of the families that had lost someone, offering kind words. Martin stayed close to his father, as did Nara. The little girl had kept her composure, though the slightest sob passed through her body when her parents' names were called. "Mr. Shepard?" she said, voice barely more than a whisper. He hated being called Mr. Shepard, but he didn't know what else she should call him. It was way too soon to try and get her to call him dad. "Am I going to live with you and Miss Tali now?"

It was an awkward question, mainly because he had no idea what she meant by it. "Do you like living with us?"

Nara nodded. "I do. You are nice, and Martin is fun. Everyone else likes you, too."

"I'm glad you like living with us, Nara," Shepard said with a genuine, natural smile. "We like having you. We were hoping you would want to live with us, since your parents are… gone."

It was a stupid thing to bring up, Shepard knew it the second those words left his mouth. He looked around nervously, not failing to notice Tali's glances in their direction. "They're really gone. I miss mommy most, how she would do my hair every night, a different way all the time." Nara swallowed her sobs, putting on a very brave face.

Shepard crouch down, looking the little girl in the face. "Miss Tali and I can't replace your parents. But we do love you, and we do want you to be happy. I hope that living with us can make you happy." Nara continued to fight sobs. Shepard raised her chin to look her in the eyes. "Nara, its okay to cry. Go ahead." Nara threw her arms around Shepard's neck, and buried her head in his chest and shoulder, crying loudly, letting all the grief she felt out. As sad as Shepard was to see her so heartbroken, he was glad that Nara finally felt comfortable showing that grief to him. It was a barrier that needed to be broken down between her and them, one she had refused to let down to that point. A hand began rubbing Nara's back gently, Martin doing his best to let his little sister know he was there for her as well. A shadow fell over the three of them, and Tali knelt to hug Nara as well, her arms reaching around to touch Shepard as well. Eventually, the girl stopped crying, loosening her grip on Shepard. "Are you ready to go home?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," Nara said, voice back under control. He thought he heard a hint of a smile in her voice.

* * *

"Shepard, are you sure you can cook this?" Tali asked, eyeing him skeptically.

"Have a little faith," Shepard said. "A burger is a burger, no matter what its made of, and grilling is grilling. Just let me work, woman."

"Oh, you did NOT just say that," Tali said.

"Yes, I did. Come on, let me grill. Come back in fifteen minutes, I'll have a burger ready by then. If you don't like it, I won't touch another."

That was enough, as Tali walked away, over to where Raan was talking with Yala's parents. Martina and Yala were involving themselves in some game that Nara and her new friend Esphir were playing. "He is sure he knows what he is doing, he says," Tali reported to the others. "I'm the first victim if he's wrong, so don't worry."

The burgers actually turned out quite well, and she selfishly ended up eating three of them, the meat sitting in her stomach like a rock afterwards. She immediately regretted eating so much. Laying back in a lawn chair, she fought sleep as she watched Nara continue to play with her friend, a lazy smile on her face. A daughter! A beautiful, happy girl who loved her, and knew that her love was returned. Tali had left no doubt as to that. It did not matter in the slightest that Nara was not her natural daughter, just like it did not matter that Martin was not her natural son. Maybe one day, when she was older and there were no kids left in the house, science would make it possible for her and Shepard to have a child of their own, but she would rather have Martin, Nara and Shepard than anything else in the world. Keelah, Nara was wonderful. Just like Martin and Shepard.

At some point she dozed off in the lawn chair, and when she woke the sun was setting, the backyard empty. Still trying to wake, she stood from the chair and walked slowly into her home. Three separate voices, all sharing laughs and taunts, were easy to hear the moment she opened the door. In the dining room, the ones Tali loved most were sitting at the table, a board game in front of them. "There she is!" Martin called out.

"Enjoy your sleep?" Shepard asked.

"You could have woken me up, or at least moved me out of that chair."

"You were snoring," Nara said, giggling. "No one wanted to wake you up."

Tali took a seat next to Nara, kissing the top of her head, that light brown hair that she had put into tiny pigtails. "Who's winning?"

"Me, of course," Martin bragged.

"He cheats," Nara complained.

"Definitely," Shepard agreed.

"How can I be cheating? It's a game where you roll dice!" Martin's turn came again, and he showed everyone the dice. "It's the same five you are using. So how am I cheating?"

There was silence, until Nara said, "You just are."

They continued playing until the current game was finished, and then Tali joined them. Soon she was joining in on the accusations of Martin cheating, but she was as happy as she had ever been. This was the life her father wanted for her, yet was so dedicated to giving her that he was never the father she wanted. This was the life her mother tried to give her, but was unable to. This was the life she dreamed of, laying in Shepard's bed on the Normandy SR2, more in love with him than she thought a person could possibly love anyone. It was almost surreal, how much like those dreams this was, sitting at a table playing a board game with the man she loved, one son and one daughter, everyone laughing and having a good time, just because they were together. Tali knew she was the luckiest woman in the galaxy. Completely lost in thought, she didn't notice the hand waving in front of her face until a sharp whistle pierced her hearing. "You okay, mommy?" Nara asked. "It's your turn."

Tali smiled as wide as she ever had. "Sorry, just daydreaming." She turned her smile to Martin, and then Shepard. "Okay, give me three, give me three," she said, rolling the dice in her right hand.

* * *

**I know you all wanted a quarian little girl in their lives. And of course, she was going to end up being the focus of the chapter, you can't just throw her in there and not write a lot about her. I did rush forward in time a lot, but hopefully it wasn't too much. I just wanted a believable amount of time to pass between Nara going home with Tali and her being comfortable enough to call Tali "mommy." That wouldn't take years with a six year old, but it would take time.**

**I also left Martin's future untold on purpose, because his journey was settled. His Pilgrimage is over, he's a grown man, and for now that's enough. I know the story is called Son of Shepard, but obviously it was never just about him.**

**I wasn't sure how exactly the members of the Admiralty Board are chosen, so if I was way off, chalk it up to changes now that they are living on Rannoch, LOL. I looked it up, didn't see anything specific that contradicted what I wrote.**

**Like with my other story, from now on any chapter I add to this will be based on reader request. If there is anything you want a chapter about, say so and I will probably write about it. It can be the past, the present, fifty years after the final chapter, whatever. As long as its something I can fit in a chapter, I'll write about it. **

**Once again, thank you very much to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and enjoyed.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Surprise! I'm sure you all thought I was done with this, and to be honest I thought I was. My other stories aren't getting much reaction at the moment, though, and I figured I did promise I would do request chapters, yet was a jerk and never did. So here's one that wasn't quite requested, but was an issue mentioned that I never covered. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Tali felt like a little girl, bouncing on her toes as she stood in the Normandy's cockpit. The ship was pulling into the spaceport at Tikdara, likely for the last time with John Shepard and Tali'Zorah vas Normandy on board. That likelihood would have been more depressing for Tali if the reason behind it wasn't making her so happy. The Normandy came to a stop, lining up with the airlock. Tali walked over to the airlock, smiling when she saw Shepard coming her way as well, Martin trailing behind. The boy looked nervous. It was understandable, his last few weeks would have been tough on anybody, let alone a ten year old boy. He seemed to be doing much better now though, and smiled excitedly at her when he and his father reached the airlock. "It's good to be home," Martin said.

That made Tali bounce on her toes even more, the quarian filled with so much happy energy she had no idea what to do with herself. She'd never felt this way, ever. Not with her parents. Not on her Pilgrimage. Not when she helped stop Saren, not when Sovereign was destroyed. There had been too much shock involved for her to feel such happiness when she found out Shepard was still alive, and the same shock when they declared their interest in each other. There was too much relief involved in the victory over the Reapers. No, this was definitely the most pure joy Tali had ever felt. She was going home, to her house on the homeworld, with the man she loved and their son, which Martin was, Martin was her son now, screw anyone who said otherwise. Tali couldn't help but smile, glad for her visor for once. She probably looked like a lunatic right now.

The airlock opened to two lines of quarian military, which were serving as security. They fell in around Tali and her family, forming a protective barrier. It all felt so unnecessary, and made Tali feel awkward. Such security seemed unnecessary. The cynical side of here knew that one could never discount the chance of someone being out to hurt her or Shepard, especially with such a high profile arrival such as this, but who would do such a thing? Her people liked and respected her, they loved Shepard just as much as the rest of the galaxy. She didn't need the security to felt safe. Auntie Raan had insisted however, ignoring Tali's insistence otherwise. Tali accepted it, just wanting to go home. Now that she was here, and the security was around her, she felt every bit as uncomfortable as she feared.

The reason for the security became clear to Tali when they exited the spaceport. Her eyes blinked as numerous flashing lights assaulted her vision, and she raised a hand to block them. The security moved forward, pushing people away. Questions were shouted at both her and Shepard, dozens of them and all at the same time, making it near impossible to understand a single question and answer it. Shepard lifted Martin in his arms. When Tali slowed slightly, overwhelmed by the situation she was in, he grabbed her arm and gently pulled her along. The moment seemed like some crazy hallucination, a relentless blur of noise and sights that made no sense. They did not stop until they reached a skycar, where Shepard hurried her and Martin inside before entering himself. One of the security guards joined them in the back of the car, while two more entered the front, one sitting in the driver's seat. He immediately started the vehicle, beeped the horn loudly and relentlessly, and at the first possible moment sped off, quick enough to throw Tali back against her seat.

A few minutes passed before Tali regained her bearings, and was able to think coherently again. "What was all that?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Sorry, Admiral Zorah, but we could not keep them away," one of the quarian guards said.

"Who were all those people?" Martin asked, every bit as confused by the situation as Tali was.

"The media," Shepard said, a slight hint of regret in his voice. Tali wondered why he would feel regret. "I guess I should have expected them."

"We are deeply sorry, Commander Shepard," the quarian apologized again.

He waved his hand dismissively. "No, no reason to be sorry. It's a futile battle to try and keep the media away. They'll grow bored soon enough."

As the car approached their house, and Tali saw the throngs of people outside their house, she hoped that time would come soon. This was something that completely slipped her mind. For obvious reasons, quarians didn't have a media to deal with. She was entirely out of her element, she had no idea how to handle this. She grew nervous as the car came to a stop, her fingers fidgeting near her waist. Should she answer any questions? How long would they stay outside her home? Could she make them leave? The dozens of questions running through Tali's head stopped when a hand gripped her own, making her nervous fidgeting stop. Shepard smiled assuringly, and Tali saw his other hand was on Martin's shoulder. "Just keep near me and walk to the door. Don't stop, don't listen, don't do anything but walk to the door." Tali nodded, trying to appear confident, but her heart was still beating out of her chest as the car came to a stop.

She tried her hardest to do everything Shepard told her to. Staying close to him was easy. Walking in a straight line to the door was easy. It was the questions that she couldn't ignore, the few questions she could understand among the sea of voices. They were so hateful, so cruel, most of them about her, directed at Shepard. "Why have you decided to live on Rannoch with a quarian?" one asked, spitting the word quarian out with disdain. "Are you betraying the Alliance by leaving?" another accused. "Why are you abandoning Earth?" a short human asked, glaring hatefully at Tali when she looked his way. Others asked why he had chosen a quarian, why he was allowing his son to be raised away from humans, whether he would abandon the galaxy during its time of recovery. Tali rushed past Shepard, wanting to get away from it all. Two journalists stood in her way, shouting their questions, but she shoved her way past them, ignoring them completely. She threw the front door opened, and ran to her bedroom.

* * *

Shepard fumed as he listened to some captain in the quarian military tell him why they could not ban the media from camping on his front lawn. The first thing he had done after checking on Tali was make a call to Shala'Raan, telling her what had happened and asking who he had to talk to in order to get those people away from his home. She gave him a name and a contact frequency, and Shepard called immediately. All he received in return were reasons and excuses why there was nothing that could be done. Eventually, he excused himself and hung up, before he said something he could regret.

It had been wishful thinking, really. He knew Council races all allowed a similar freedom with the media, allowing them to do anything as long as they weren't breaking any laws, and in some cases even if they were breaking the law. The effect they had on the people they were stalking and harassing apparently didn't matter. What made this particular situation worse was that the Quarian people had no media, and therefore no laws to restrict them. Shepard huffed, furious with the powerlessness he felt.

Soft footsteps came down the hall, as Tali came out to the living room. Her head was bowed, the shame she felt still evident in her body language. Shepard's anger dissipated, replaced with a need to comfort this wonderful woman, who did not deserve to hear what those horrible people had said. "I talked to Raan," he said. "She told me to talk to a captain Malzi'Amik, and he promised that everything would be done to make sure these leeches won't prevent us from living our lives. We have to deal with them for now, but they should be easy to ignore." Tali nodded numbly, breaking Shepard's heart. "Tali, its alright. Don't bother listening to what those people said. You'll just drive yourself crazy for no reason. I told you, I don't care what they say about you, me, or us. They want a reaction. If we ignore them, they'll leave."

Tali shook her head, and the sudden change from sadness to anger startled Shepard. "I cannot just ignore it when scum like that tries to tear apart my reputation and character, and wants to tear apart the life I fought so hard for." She stared intensely at him, making the war hero shrink before her. "How dare they? They don't know anything about me. They don't know what it was like to stand by you all this time, they weren't there on those missions where your life was at risk, and I helped keep you alive. They weren't there, staying by your side when the entire galaxy turned on you." She moved closer, her pupils made of fire. "They weren't there to comfort you on those nights when your nightmares kept you from sleeping! They didn't give everything of themselves, for no reason other than their belief in your cause and love for the man you are! How dare they suggest that I don't deserve you?! Who are they to try to tear you away from me?! I won't let them!"

Shepard was shocked by the ferocity and conviction with which Tali spoke. He had never heard her speak so possessively. "And they won't. That's my point, everything they are saying is just talk, designed to appeal to whatever their audience is. Even they don't mean it."

Tali softened a little, but her eyes still maintained their fury. "I'm supposed to let these bosh'tets get away with speaking about me this way? They aren't putting you down, trying to make you feel horrible, they're doing this to me!"

A cleared throat brought both Shepard and Tali's attention to the hallway, where Martin was standing. There was a strength exuding from him that Shepard sensed immediately. "Can I say something?" he asked. Shepard nodded. "I agree with Dad, Tali. You shouldn't let them get to you. I know its hard, because you don't deserve to be talked to that way, but they don't matter."

Tali calmed slightly. "You're both right, but its so hard. I'm not the strongest person, hearing them speak so negatively about your father and I makes me feel insecure."

Martin laughed, which surprised Shepard completely. "Come on, Tali, you're not strong? You? Dad's right, no one thinks less of you than yourself." He laughed again, and Shepard smirked. Even Tali seemed to be smiling. "Dad's not going to leave you because of anything anyone else said. He loves you too much. Right Dad?

Shepard grabbed Tali's left hand, squeezing it gently. She looked at him, and he stared right into her eyes, hoping she saw the truth written in his own. "Never. Not even if you wanted me to leave." He looked over at his son, inexpressibly grateful that Martin was able to speak the words Shepard should have. What a great son he had. No, not him, both of them. He was Tali's son now, too.

For the first time since they stepped off the Normandy, Tali appeared genuinely happy. "You know, I haven't forgotten how close you came to punching that al-Jilani lady. You shouldn't be lecturing me about not hating the media."

"I'm not," Shepard said, laughing. "I'm lecturing you about self control. The same self control it took to not punch that bitch in the face." Tali giggled, and Martin laughed embarrassedly. "Don't repeat that language around her, pal."

Martin laughed even harder. "Hypocrite." That made Tali laugh loudest of all.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the crowds gradually dissipated, as Shepard's promise that being ignored would bore them and drive them off proved true. Unfortunately, this did not make Tali feel better. In fact, it had the opposite effect. No longer were the questions shouted her way coming from dozens of voices that drowned each other out, making them easy to ignore. Now she heard every word, every accusation, every hateful tone when her name was spoken. It was becoming hard to deal with again. Tali tried to be strong. She tried to ignore it all, remembering the passion and the promises in Shepard's voice as he continued to tell her their bigoted opinions did not matter.

She couldn't do it. The questions played on her insecurities far too well for her to just ignore them. She felt as if she was back on the Normandy, in the days after she confessed her feelings for the impossibly brave, impossibly kind, dashing commander that had stolen her heart. Sure, he told her he wanted her, told her he didn't want anyone else, but how could he not? Tali was too much work, too inconvenient, too incompatible. A man like him deserved better, deserved easier. Back then, the worry had been her immune system and her appearance. Surely, she had assumed, he would be driven off by the difficulties of having a physical relationship with Tali. And if not, if he was truly as willing to make their relationship work as he said, then he would be driven off by her appearance. Now, she was having those same feelings. Surely, Shepard would hear these questions so much that he would begin to wonder if they were true. Was he abandoning Earth? The Alliance? The entire galaxy? Was he abandoning people that needed him just for her?

Tali stopped before she left the capital building, a shudder passing through her body over the coming accusations and insults she would hear. They were out there, as they were every day. Cameras ready, data pads ready, eyes intent on the entrance, waiting to ambush her. With one last deep breath, Tali closed her eyes, exhaled, focused on the ground, and walked through the doors.

They did not hesitate to run forward, cameras flashing while they shouted their questions. They were the same as always, the biting, accusing tone as present as it had been the first time. Tali ignored them, walking past them with long, forceful strides. She had to admit, it was getting easier to ignore them. A smile even crossed her lips as a few of the journalists stopped following, mumbling to themselves in frustration. She reached her car, unlocked the driver side door, got inside, and drove off without a second glance at any of them.

There were more outside her home, of course, as they were every day. Some had followed her from the capital building, and hurried over from where they parked, further down the street. Again, Tali ignored them, making a beeline for the door. She was almost there when one of them asked, "What kind of mother can you possibly be for a human child?"

Tali's head snapped towards the person who asked that, the sheer offensiveness of the question impossible to ignore. Others continued to shout at her, but they were mindless noise, every ounce of concentration she had focused on the person who asked that question. He was young, wearing a blue and white suit, similar to Alliance colors. A pin on his breast had the emblem of Terra Firma. "What did you just say?" Tali hissed, her stare one that had intimidated far braver men than this bosh'tet.

He stared back, a smug look on his face. This was exactly the reaction these people wanted, Tali knew that, but she couldn't help it. "The quarian people have lived in exile for three centuries, and in that time were unable to raise their children in a normal setting. Your family values and parenting methods are entirely different from those of normal, human families. How can you be trusted to raise a human child, without such knowledge? How can Commander Shepard be trusted with the care of his son when he has made a choice to let one such as yourself have such a role in the child's life?"

The Terra Firma was sprawled on the ground moments later, courtesy of a punch to the jaw. Tali grabbed his camera out of the air, and smashed it on the ground. Her hands were balled into fits, every muscle in her body tense with rage. On the ground, the Terra Firma member was holding the spot where he was punched, eyes wide with fright. Everyone else was quiet, but their cameras were shooting nonstop. "How dare you?!" Tali screamed. "What gives you the right?! I'm a better parent to Martin than you could ever be! You probably didn't even know his name, and you dare to say who should raise him?!" She walked away, just barely managing to stop herself from kicking the bosh'tet. The moment she was inside, she slid down the doorway, as tears slid down her cheeks.

* * *

"I don't know, Tali," Shepard teased, a sarcastic grin on his face. "We aren't exactly strapped for credits, but I'd still rather not have to pay another couple hundred to somebody you knocked senseless."

With a grin of her own, Tali gently pushed her bondmate. Even after four months, he never failed to rib her for punching that guy. They were lucky to not have to pay out more to the man, mainly because of his Terra Firma affiliation. As far as Tali was concerned, three hundred thousand credits was well worth the satisfaction of punching that bosh'tet and the bad press that followed. Add in the fact that the media was no longer constantly harassing them, out of fear of Tali's reaction, and the punch, and credits they paid because of it, was totally worth it. "I promise, John, I won't punch anyone who doesn't deserve it."

"How does that make me feel better? A lot of them deserve it." Shepard laughed. "Well, are we ready then?" Tali nodded, and before locking her visor in place, gave her bondmate a kiss. She longed for a day when she would not have to wear her suit, though she understood it would likely never come in her lifetime. "Okay, then let's go."

Emily Wong smiled when they entered the room, standing to greet them. An unfortunate scar marked her neck from injuries sustained during the Reaper War, but she was still a very attractive woman. Tali was so glad to see her, and even happier when Emily pulled her in for a hug. "I am so glad to see you both," she said. "Thank you so much for giving me this interview."

"I told you I would," Shepard said, turning on his charm. "I didn't mean to make you wait nearly four years, and you probably don't need an exclusive from me anymore."

"Are you kidding?" Wong asked incredulously. "Every journalist in the freaking galaxy would bankrupt themselves for an exclusive interview with you. Not only am I getting it for free, but I get Tali'Zorah vas Normandy as well? I couldn't possibly be more grateful."

Tali smiled, blushing. "I appreciate the kind words, but I'm only here because Shepard insisted. I'm not that important."

Again, Wong appeared incredulous. "You're Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, a Quarian admiral and the bondmate of Commander John Shepard. You were there with Shepard every step of the way. I can't imagine doing this story without you. My only regret is that Garrus Vakarian isn't here as well, since he was the only other person there through it all." Tali blushed, and felt Shepard squeeze her hand. She squeezed back. "Okay, so have you two looked over the questions I gave you?"

Shepard nodded. "A lot of softballs there. Just because its an exclusive doesn't mean I'm averse to answering tough questions."

"I included the questions I felt the galaxy needed to know," Wong insisted. She became very serious. "I am ashamed of the way you two have been treated lately. It's beneath the profession I dedicated myself to, and has no place. Bending the law to break a story that needs to be told is good journalism. Bending the law to harass the hero of the Reaper War and his family is disgraceful. I would have punched someone long before you did, Admiral Zorah."

Tali giggled. "I appreciate that."

Wong smiled. "Of course." She set up her camera, readied her data pad, and cleared her throat. "Ready?" Shepard nodded, and looked over at Tali. She nodded as well.

* * *

The interview was long, and by the time the camera's lights faded, signaling the interview was over, Tali's legs were numb from being crossed the entire time. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad the questions were done. "That was fantastic," Wong said, smiling giddily. "I couldn't have asked for better. Thank you both, so, so much."

Shepard smiled disarmingly. "Thank you, Ms. Wong."

She nodded. "This will probably air on FCC by the beginning of next week. I'll send you an alert, giving you a date and time. Again, I greatly appreciate the candidness with which you both answered." All three stood from their chairs exchanging handshakes and saying goodbyes. Wong asked if he would be willing to do another exclusive in the future, to which Shepard said he would think about it. He and Tali left the office, not saying a word until they were back in the car.

It was only when they were back in the car that Tali noticed something. "No one was waiting outside for us," she said.

"Nope," Shepard said, smirking. "Every week there will be less and less of them. In a few months, they'll be gone almost entirely. They'll never go away completely, but as long as we aren't drawing attention to ourselves with drunken tirades and sex tapes, the leeches will stop paying attention."

Tali was shocked at what he said. "Do people actually do that? Draw attention to themselves that way?"

"Yes, for some reason, they do," Shepard said. "I don't understand it either, nor do I care." He turned to look at her. "See, the media's not so bad when they do their job respectfully, right?"

"I guess not," Tali said. "Makes me wonder how people who all do the same job could do that job so differently."

"The same way that I was a Spectre and Saren was a Spectre, yet one tried to destroy the galaxy and one tried to save it," Shepard said. "Some people do their job the right way, and some do it the wrong way. You just hope there is some way to combat those who do their jobs the wrong way. Usually involving those who do it the right way."

Tali shook her head. "That barely makes sense."

Shepard laughed. "Yeah, maybe." He started the car. "Ready to go home?"

Tali nodded, and leaned against Shepard's arm. "Absolutely."

* * *

**I know I was very harsh towards journalism, here, but I figure that the ME universe would only have an increase in moronic "journalists" that do nothing but bate people into reaction. That's why I have the Emily Wong in there (who isn't dead in my universe, and screw BioWare for just killing her off for no reason), because there are good journalists out there as well.**

**I also know Tali was a little bipolar in this chapter, but I figured someone being overexposed to the harshness of the media, when they've never dealt with it in their life, would have a person take what they are saying a lot more to heart than they should. **

**I will be getting to other requests, I promise, so stay tuned, if you're still around.**


	28. Chapter 28

**I'd like to thank TW6464 for the enthusiastic requests. I'm definitely inspired to fulfill requests when they are requested so excitedly.**

* * *

Martin heard the storm coming before it arrived. He pulled his blankets over his head, and screwed his eyes shut, hoping he could fall back asleep. Those efforts were futile, and he knew it. The door opened, slowly but without caution. "Martin?" a voice called out. "Martin, are you awake?" He didn't move. A few steps across the room, and a hand was placed on his shoulder. "Come on, you promised, wake up."

He did promise. Not just Nara, but their parents. The hand on his shoulder was joined by another, both pushing him insistently now. If he didn't wake up, Nara would not hesitate to jump on the bed and push him out of bed, if need be. Martin threw back the blanket and rolled over. Nara smiled at him, and any annoyance he might have felt quickly vanished. It was impossible not to give in to Nara when she smiled at people that way. She was too freaking cute. The day she realized it was the day Martin would rather live on the street than under the dictatorship that girl would create. "I'm up, no need to keep pushing me," he said. Nara beamed and left his room, practically skipping out the door. With a heavy sigh, Martin completely removed his blanket and got out of bed, stretching and yawning.

Tali was already awake, busy at work cooking breakfast for herself and Nara, her suit on but visor off. It smelled really good, enough so to make Martin's own mouth water and his stomach growl. He walked to the refrigerator, grabbing a carton of the eggs he could actually eat. Tali came over and hugged him. "Good morning," she greeted, smiling and seemingly very upbeat. "I'll cook some breakfast for you after I finish your sister's. Go ahead and relax in the living room until then."

It didn't go unnoticed that she said, "your sister." Tali had started doing that about a month ago, as Nara grew more and more comfortable saying Mom and Dad, rather than Miss Tali and Mr. Shepard. To help make it more comfortable for Nara, Martin rarely ever called Tali by her name either, calling her Mom almost always now. It was kind of weird, but Tali was always happy to hear it, and she was his mom. "Okay," he said, smiling sheepishly when Tali kissed him on the cheek and pushed him out of the kitchen. Nara was on the couch watching a cartoon, one Martin recognized and actually kind of liked. It was about a group of kids, consisting of an asari, a human, a krogan, a turian, basically everything, even a quarian, and the ridiculous things those kids did on the street they lived on. There were more than enough adult jokes and themes to entertain him, and he could swear Dad was watching this a couple of times as well. Martin sat next to Nara, recognizing the episode immediately. "This is a good one," he said.

Nara nodded, agreeing. "My favorite part is when Hiltus tries to scam them."

"That's my favorite part, too," Martin said. He wondered if Nara understood some of the more mature jokes Hiltus made when he was trying to scam the other kids. She probably understood more than he thought, she was a smart kid.

Tali brought Nara her breakfast a couple minutes later, setting it down on the table in front of the couch. Nara thanked her sweetly, and Tali kissed her daughter on the head, walking away happily. A loud sizzling sound told Martin that she was cooking his own breakfast now. It was ready soon after, just as Nara was done wolfing down her own. Tali told the girl to go get ready for the day, standing nearby until she heard a door close. "Are you sure you can do this?" she asked nervously.

"I have everything planned," Martin assured her. "Trust me."

"I'm not so sure a seven year old girl will be entertained where you work. I'm also not sure you won't end up getting sucked into something and ignore her."

"Hey!" Martin said, offended. "Since when do you think I'm so irresponsible? I'm actually offended by that, thinking I would treat my sister that way."

Tali smiled. "I'm sorry." Neither said anything for a few moments, Martin eating while Tali watched. "You called her your sister."

Martin shrugged. "Well, she is."

Nara came cheerfully back out to the living room, again practically skipping. She was wearing her envirosuit, the visor in her right hand. Her long brown hair, much longer than it had been when she first came to live with them, was still tangled and out of place "I'm ready," she said, bouncing in place, swinging her arms.

Tali's sigh of disapproval was stern, yet affectionate. "You don't really want to leave with your hair looking like that, do you?"

"Why not?" Nara asked with a shrug. "I'll be wearing my hood and visor most the day, people won't even see my hair."

"Go get the brush and come back," Tali said. Nara did so, sitting on the ground below Tali while her hair was brushed and smoothed out. This was a routine both of them enjoyed, as obvious by the smiles on both of their faces as the brush untangled Nara's knots, Tali well practiced and able to do so without tugging and hurting her daughter. Martin finished his breakfast in the meantime, and by the time he dressed, brushed his teeth, and was ready for the day, so was Nara. "Remember, you are to make sure you keep an eye on her at all times," Tali told him. "She is to keep her suit sealed around all machinery, and never spend more than an hour without her visor on, under any circumstances. Both of you make sure to eat lunch, a real lunch, not a bag of chips or some other unhealthy crap. I want her home before sunset."

Martin nodded at all of this. "Yes, ma'am."

Reluctantly, Tali sighed her consent. "Okay, have fun you two. Nara, listen to Martin and do what he tells you at all times."

"I will, mommy."

* * *

"What are you doing here? You have the day off." Irsu's eyes were squinted behind his visor. It made sense, not only was Martin at the hangars on his day off, he had a seven year old quarian girl with him. Why wouldn't he be confused?

Martin smiled, gently pushing Nara just ahead of him. "Irsu, this is my little sister, Nara'Shepard. Nara, this is my boss, Irsu'Quaz."

Irsu knelt, and stuck his hand out. Nara tentatively shook it. "Nice to meet you, Nara." The little girl nodded, eyes wide behind her visor. She still didn't do very good with strangers. That was part of the line of thinking that led to this little adventure today, was that being around groups of strangers with Martin would help combat her shyness, along with hopefully having some fun. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I called and said I was going to be here today with Nara," Martin said, confused himself now.

"No one told me."

Martin was about to argue, when Briam walked by. "Briam!" he called out. "Briam, come here!"

The old quarian walked over, a slight limp to his step from an injury he sustained during the fight against the Reapers on Rannoch. "Hey, Martin." He looked down at Nara. "Is this your sister? Hello, pretty lady," he said.

That made Nara look away sheepishly. "Briam, did you tell Irsu I was coming in today with my sister?"

"Yes," he said immediately, before bringing a hand to the mouthpiece of his visor. "Maybe, I think I did but…Hmm. Maybe not."

"You didn't," Irsu said, slightly chiding. "Not that there's a problem, as long as you keep an eye on her. Especially if you actually do some work."

"Of course," Martin ensured. "I don't come to work if I'm not going to work."

Nara seemed to take quite an interest in the ships, only natural being both a quarian and a part of a family that spent nearly their entire lives working on and with ships. As Martin expected, she was also incredibly bright and had a natural affinity for working with delicate equipment. She would watch intently as Martin worked, explaining what he was doing he went. Before it was even time for lunch, she was actively participating, albeit only with simple tasks on non-critical parts easily fixed if mistakes were made. She didn't make many mistakes though. Nara's confidence grew with every success, and it helped that Martin was not the only one who praised her. Others would watch, at first to place bets on how many mistakes she would make and eventually just to watch in awe as the seven year old girl completed menial tasks without the mistakes that even the best of them made.

Naturally, the two of them ended up talking quite a bit, and Martin was surprised what Nara was willing to divulge to him. He learned that both her parents were both pilots, and that they volunteered to help in the search for Daro'Xen, which ultimately led to their deaths. Her mother piloted a shuttle that saved Shala'Raan after her ship crashed on Rannoch's surface during the fight to take the planet back. Her father piloted a ship that destroyed six Geth ships and two Reapers. Martin learned that Nara's birth parents had lived fifteen minutes away, and if they lived even one street over would have fallen under Tali's command. He learned that Nara had two favorite stuffed animals, one the mavad that she was carrying the first time he saw here, and the other was a purple alligator, a gift her father had bought on pilgrimage for his sister, who gave it to Nara before dying of illness brought on from a suit breach when Nara was three. That broke Martin's heart, and made him wonder just how much misery this poor girl had faced in her short life. They both cheered up again when Nara told him how much she liked Yala. Martin made a mental note to tell his girlfriend that later. It would make her really happy.

Martin spoke a lot about his own parents, and how he lost his mother as well. Years had passed since the last time he spoke to anyone about his mother. Despite the time that had passed, he found the wound was still there over her death, the pain lessened but still present. His mother was an amazing woman, who truly spent her life giving of herself. He had known that then, but now that he was an adult, and truly understood the difficulties of being one, it made her all the more amazing to him. Thankfully, his father had found a woman every bit as amazing in Tali, who strived every day to be the best mother anyone could possibly be. Naturally, as Martin talked about growing up with his mother, the question came from Nara that he expected eventually. "You don't talk about Dad much. Where was he?"

"Well…" he began, not sure how to continue. "He was in the Alliance, and went wherever they sent him. That kept him away from home a lot, and eventually he and my mother decided to split up. So I only saw Dad when he wasn't off on missions."

"Why didn't he quit, like now?" Nara asked, youthfully ignorant.

"It wasn't as simple then," Martin explained. "He can quit now because of what he did then. Back when I was a kid, he was a hero, but not a hero like you know now. He and my mother divorced each other before he ever became a Spectre and fought Saren and the Reapers and all that. I was kind of angry then, but not now." The interface for the part Martin was working on showed an error, and Martin bit his lip to keep from cursing, kneeling to check the wiring and parts again. "He's always been a good dad. He saw me whenever he could, and spoiled me to make up for the time he spent away from me. He was always intimidating to others, but not so much to me."

Nara stared at the ground, kicking at it absentmindedly. "Can I tell you a secret, and you promise not to tell Dad?" Martin nodded. "He kind of scares me."

Martin couldn't stop himself from laughing, and was glad when Nara laughed to. "Any particular reason?" he asked.

Nara shrugged. "Not really. He's just kind of scary. Its weird to say, but he's always so nice to me. I'm scared of what might happen if I did something to make him mad at me."

"I understand." Martin smiled. "I'll tell you a secret about that. Dad doesn't get angry. Not at us. If we do something he doesn't like, he'll just be sad so we feel bad for whatever we did. So as long as you don't do something to make him really sad, you're okay."

"Really?"

"Really." Regretting it before he even said it, Martin added, "Especially you. Just flash that smile, and he can't resist." Nara giggled, and he could already see the wheels turning in her little head.

The two of them ate lunch in the shade of one of the hangars, deciding on an outside meal rather than eating inside with the other mechanics. That was Nara's choice, and Martin went along with it. For the first time since they left home, his little sister was allowed to take her visor off, and she seemed to take the same pleasure in doing so that Tali did. Maybe more so. It was understandable, Nara was born on Rannoch, had spent her entire life on Rannoch, and had not worn an envirosuit until the past two years. Even now, she was out of the suit more than she was in it.

"So, halfway there," Martin said. "Enjoying yourself?"

Nara nodded. "It's interesting. You're really good at this."

Martin did not fail to notice the hesitation from his sister. "Bored?"

She looked at him sheepishly. "Not bored, I am interested in what you do, but I don't get to do much."

Martin grinned, and placed an arm around Nara's shoulders. "Yeah, you're bored." She began to protest, but Martin held up a hand to stop her. "Its okay, really. You're seven, you should be bored by work. I brought you here mainly for Mom, since she'll want to teach you this stuff soon anyway. Luckily for both of us, I planned ahead." Nara's interest was peaked now, and she waited eagerly. Martin reached for his wallet. "You know that amusement park that opened half an hour from home?"

The hope and excitement on Nara's face was well worth drawing out the telling of the surprise. "No way!" she shouted.

Martin found the two cards he was looking for in his wallet. "I bought us passes for a year two days ago." Nara squealed, and jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She shouted thanks, over and over, as she squeezed him tighter.

* * *

An orange glow bathed the streets, the day coming to an end, and Tali was officially worried. She said sunset, which was maybe half an hour away, at the latest, and her children were still not home. The only thing keeping her calm were Shepard's assurances. Unfortunately, those assurances did not stop all the horrible possibilities of why they weren't home from dominating her thoughts. The ridiculousness of her worry was not lost on her, she knew that, but she had these same worries about Martin when he was young, and he wasn't capable of anywhere near the mischief and danger he was now. She argued that to Shepard, and he offered her the same reassurances as before, which were perfectly rational. Tali still worried.

The last glimmers of sunlight were disappearing for the day when she heard a vehicle stop, and two doors open. Forcing herself to stay in control of her emotions, Tali hurried out the front door, a tremendous relief coursing through her when she saw a very happy Martin and Nara walking her way. She noticed the stuffed togr in Nara's arms immediately. "Hi, Mom," they both said, taking turns hugging her.

"Welcome home," she said as cheerfully and free of worry as she could. "Where'd you get that?" she asked her daughter.

"Martin won it for me playing a game at the new amusement park!" she said happily.

Tali fixed her stare on her son. "Amusement park?"

To his credit, Martin did not flinch. "Bought us passes two days ago, as a surprise for today. I knew she'd get bored watching me work eventually. We went after lunch."

"You must have had a lot of fun," Tali said. Both of them nodded. "I'd love to hear all about it during dinner. Come on inside and wash up."

Martin chuckled as he walked by, and Nara looked at him questioningly. "We're in trouble," he told her.

"Oh," Nara said.

"No, no, you're not in trouble," Tali insisted. "I said sunset, you cut it a little close but you're here." Both kids looked at her, not believing what she said. "I promise, you're not in trouble!"

Nara giggled this time. "I think we are in trouble." Both she and Martin laughed. She looked up at Tali, as innocently as she could manage, and said, "You told me to do whatever he said, mommy."

Tali laughed as well. "One day with your brother and he turns you into a rebellious little brat. No more alone time for you two." All three laughed together. "Go ahead inside, dinner will be ready soon."

* * *

**Next request chapter: Centered on Martin and Yala living together, being adults and all that, when they are off on their own. Not planning a wedding chapter or anything, and I don't particularly want to write one, but they may be bonded. I haven't decided yet.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Have a weird feeling I'm missing a lot of grammatical errors. Please tell me if I did.**

* * *

The snickers and smartass grins began the moment they entered Rannoch's atmosphere, as usual. Martin ignored them the best he could, a task made easier since no one was talking to him. Two months had passed now since he was last home, and those two months both passed excruciatingly slowly. Much as Martin enjoyed his job, every day he spent away from home sucked, a lot. This trip was nothing compared to the five months he spent away on his very first job. Not only was it the longest he spent away from home, by two months, but it came at the worst possible time. Yala was still stuck on Rannoch, in the midst of a bout of insecurity both over her own life and their relationship. When he told her that he would be gone for five months, he half expected her to either end the relationship then, or worse, move on without telling Martin about it until he came back and found out from someone else. Nothing of the sort happened, thankfully, and when Martin came back, it was to a brand new girlfriend who was to be leaving on her first engineer job aboard a ship in a month and a half. Then he found himself on the other foot.

The offer Martin received from Nashan Stellar Dynamics was still at the forefront of his mind, even now. It was an amazing job. He had never been a "lab" person, but the company didn't seem to care. They heard about the improvements he made to starships on Rannoch, and wanted him, lack of experience be damned. Martin being the son of John Shepard certainly played a part in the offer, he was sure, but once he got in the door and proved himself he could quickly eliminate any hard feelings held towards him because of that. Accepting the job was not only a good move for him, it was damn near a no-brainer.

Except Martin didn't find it to be anything close to a no-brainer. There were non-personal reasons, of course. Nashan Stellar Dynamics did not have the most reputable reputation. They were part of a kickback scandal with the leader of the Terra Firma party, and even after the fallout of that scandal did not sever all ties with those racist pricks. They were one of the lesser of the major corporations dealing in starship technology. Rumors of long hours and employee mistreatment leaked out every few years, based on Martin's searches on the company. It was likely he might regret taking the position after a few months of unfair working hours and company decisions he couldn't support.

Martin was snapped out of his daydream by an imitation of the sound of a whip. The other crewmembers began laughing, and Martin rolled his eyes. "What do you say guys?" Kaesh said, his large eyes glinting with humor. "Five seconds? Four?"

Everyone laughed, even Martin. The rest of the crew made fun of him all the time for how Yala waited at the docks for him, but it was all in good fun. They all really liked her, of course, who wouldn't, but they still didn't pass on the opportunity to tease him about their enthusiastic reunions right. Especially since they usually happened right outside the airlock. Even if they did mean anything cruel by it, Martin wouldn't care. After months away from Yala, he was glad she wanted to see him as soon as possible, just like he did.

The ship came to a stop, and the crew began filing out of the ship in a straight line, the last bit of uniformity any of them would show until the next time they went through that airlock. Martin smiled, eagerly anticipating seeing his girlfriend. He stepped through the door, the sounds of the spaceport assaulting him immediately. He loosened his grip on the bag containing his belongings, ready to drop them when Yala came running. Except she wasn't there. Dozens were waiting outside the ship, parents and bondmates and children and close friends, but Yala was not one of them. This had never happened before. Martin waited a few minutes, thinking that maybe Yala had been held up for some reason and was on her way. After fifteen minutes without her showing up, Martin decided to just head home.

He couldn't stop worrying as the cab drove him home. Yala was ALWAYS there when he got off the ship. Maybe she had to work? Maybe she was sick? For a brief moment he wondered if there was a party waiting for him at home, but that wasn't it either, Yala was not a party thrower. So why wasn't she there? He began to really worry, his head swimming as he thought of all the possibilities of what might be wrong. When the cab left traffic and pulled down his street, stopping in front of his house, Martin didn't notice until the driver said, "We're here. That will be one hundred credits." Martin handed him his credit chit, took it back when the driver was done swiping it, grabbed his bag, and left the cab.

The door was open, and Martin walked in slowly, looking around. He could hear music playing somewhere in the house. The lights were on, but dim. Martin walked further inside, stopping when he stepped on something. A crushed flower lay in pieces, and many more lay along the ground, forming a trail towards the bedrooms. Martin dropped his bag and ran the rest of the way, a goofy smile on his face.

It probably made quite a sight when Martin burst through the bedroom door, eyes wide, mouth agape, like a kid running to the tree on Christmas morning. Martin was too absorbed in the sight before him to care if he looked stupid. On the bed, wearing nothing but a robe, Yala lay before him, one hand gently teasing up her leg. Her luminescent eyes were filled with eagerness and lust, and she chewed her bottom lip seductively. "Surprise," she purred.

Martin nearly lost all ability to think, but managed to compose himself. "What if I was a stranger I found you laying there like that, all irresistible?"

Yala suddenly forgot to keep looking so irresistible, her mouth curling into a frown. "I wouldn't let that happen. I had all this ready, but I waited until I saw your cab pull up before turning on the music and waiting here. Keelah, that would be so embarrassing."

"I was teasing you. You were supposed to play along, you know, something like, 'Oh no, Mr. Stranger, I'm just an innocent girl in her home. Whatever would you do to me?'"

Yala continued to frown. "Well, I'm not very good at this," she said. "Damn it, you're ruining the mood! This is why I never tried anything like this before, I knew you'd make me feel like an idiot." She sat up on the bed. "I should have stuck with embarrassing you when you got off the ship. That's what I'm good at, and you would be the one embarr-" She never finished the sentence, cut off by Martin's lips on her own.

* * *

It was obvious something was on Martin's mind. His eyes were distant, distracted. Yala grazed her fingertips along his chin, and he offered nothing more than a cursory smile. Such worry was not usual for him. "Spill it," she said, all playfulness leaving her body, hard to do when they were naked in bed.

"Huh?" Martin said, not the least bit convincing.

"Don't 'huh' me. What does that even mean? You answer questions with indecipherable grunts? Tell me what's wrong."

Still he hesitated, and Yala began to grow frustrated. She was also worried. Martin did have the tendency to withdraw when deep in thought, but not like he was now. Whatever troubled him, it was serious. "I received an offer for a job at Nashan Stellar Dynamics. I'd be working in a lab, helping design parts for ships. I'd be getting more than twice the pay, I'd rarely have to go on trips, it's a great job. But I'm struggling with whether to actually take it."

Yala's mood darkened. Nashan Stellar Dynamics did not operate on Rannoch, mainly because they were a bunch of racist bosh'tets. If Martin took the job, he'd have to leave. "You have to refuse them," she said.

"It's a great job," Martin argued. "I have to think about it."

"If you take this job, you'll have to leave Rannoch. I wouldn't be able to go with you."

"That's not necessarily true," Martin said, not sounding as if he believed himself. "You could move with me."

"You stupid bosh'tet, no one will hire a quarian!" Yala yelled, angrily getting out of bed. She picked her robe up off the ground and slipped it on, suddenly feeling cold. "If you take this job, we're done. You know that, and don't try to tell me otherwise!"

Martin sat up, eyes taking on a dangerous glint. It was look that he inherited from his father, a cowering look that made many shrink before it. Not Yala. She stared right back at him. "I don't know that," Martin said, straining to keep his voice calm. "I can request that I work in a lab on the Citadel, or Noveria. You could find a job in either of those places easily. We can find an apartment and live no differently than we do now."

"And if they insist that you work on Earth or some colony they bankroll?"

"Then I will tell them thank you, but I'm not interested." Martin calmed down, his body language softening. "I haven't decided to take this offer, I wanted to talk to you about it first. So please, calm down so we can discuss this without killing each other."

Yala took a deep breath, doing as he said. He was right. It wasn't like he told them yes already. If they couldn't make the concessions he asked for, he could say no. It was okay. She just needed to calm down. She was just so worried. Both of them had jobs that required traveling aboard a ship for months at a time. Time together was limited enough "So, you're going to contact them and inform them that you would require a position in a lab somewhere I could work?"

Martin shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not even sure I want the job, as big an upgrade as it is. Nashan Stellar Dynamics don't have a very good track record, professionally or personally. I do wonder what their opinion of our relationship would be, and what bigotry I'd encounter because of it. I'm certainly not going to hide you." Hearing him say that made Yala love him as much as ever. "This is far from a done deal, hon. So you can relax for now."

Climbing back into bed, Yala snuggled closely. "We can check it out together. Any objections?" Martin kissed her, and Yala relaxed completely.

* * *

The shrill of the alarm woke Martin, piercing his eardrums harshly. A sore shoulder screamed at him when he rolled over, and he immediately returned to laying on his back. The alarm continued to shout its wakening call. A three fingered hand, already suited, reached over him and shut the damn thing up. "Time to wake up, Martin," Yala said, voice synthesized by her helmet.

"Five more minutes," Martin said, closing his eyes.

"Which becomes ten more minutes, which becomes, twenty," Yala chided. "Next thing you know, you don't leave the bed all day."

"That doesn't sound so bad, as long as you're here, too."

Yala slapped him on his sore shoulder, making Martin groan with pain. "I won't let you drag me out here just to change your mind now. Get up."

The shower felt good, the water warm and comforting enough to stay in all day. Martin may have stayed in there if the shower hadn't woken him up enough to allow him to regain his senses. He dressed in the brand new blue suit he bought, Alliance colors intended to impress, shaved, brushed his teeth, and slicked his hair back with gel. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he left the hotel bathroom, doing a stupid little bow in front of Yala. "Well? Would you hire me?"

"After I ravished you," Yala said seductively.

"That's what I was going for," Martin joked. "I hope a woman is interviewing me." Yala giggled, a delightful sound even after so many years. Martin looked at the clock. "Time to go. Ready?" Yala nodded.

The skyscraper housing the offices of Nashan Stellar Dynamics was among the smallest in New York City, and those offices only took up one floor of that skyscraper, compared to some of the other corporations who took up three or four floors. Martin stepped off the elevator on level twenty of one hundred and ten, Yala gripping his hand as they walked. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his hairline, even in the slightly chilly office. A receptionist greeted him, took his name, and told him to wait. Yala's presence didn't seem to bother her at the least, which made Martin a little happier and less nervous. Ten minutes passed before an older man, his hair gray and balding, came out to greet him. He completely cordial as he shook Martin's hand, shook Yala's hand, and asked Martin to follow him to his office.

"On the record," Mr. Primrose said, half an hour later, "I have to say that we'll let you know, and please be ready for us to contact you. Off the record, I'm very impressed, and you will be hearing from us."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Primrose," Martin said, keeping his smile reserved. He didn't want to appear overeager, like a little kid.

The two stood and shook hands. As Martin turned to leave, Mr. Primrose said, "By the way, is that quarian girl your girlfriend or wife?"

Martin began to sweat again. "She's my girlfriend. Hopefully one day my bondmate, that's what quarians call their significant others instead of a husband or wife."

Mr. Primrose nodded. "Ah, okay. Good for you. We could use a few more people like you. I know this company doesn't have the greatest track record with species besides humanity, but I can assure you we are trying our hardest to change that."

"Thank you, Mr. Primrose," Martin said, his relief nearly a tangible thing, able to feel and touch and share with others.

"Of course." Mr. Primrose shook his hand again. "We will be in touch."

Martin felt celebratory after leaving the office, and decided to take Yala out to lunch. He told her everything that was talked about during the interview, smiling goofily the entire time. When he told her that he would be allowed to work in a lab on Noveria, she seemed every bit as relieved as he was, and was just as relieved when told about Mr. Primrose's reaction to her. "This sounds like it worked out exactly as you hoped," she said, sipping at her drink.

Her melancholy tone was not lost on Martin. "I thought you'd be a little bit happier," Martin said.

Yala stopped sipping her drink. "I am!" she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was sad. I'm very happy for you. I'm just nervous. I've never lived on another planet. All kinds of bad scenarios are beginning to plant themselves in my mind. Can I get a job? Will I be treated okay? Will we be able to spend more time with each other? Stuff like that."

Martin well understood having such questions. "If it doesn't work out, we have jobs back on Rannoch waiting for us, right?"

Yala looked to be smiling behind her visor. "Right."

They spent the rest of the day taking in the sights of New York City, one of the great cities on Earth and a place where Martin had lived for two years with his mother. Even more than a decade later, and after the Reaper War, Martin found the city had not changed much. It wasn't hard to tell what had been destroyed, but all of it was rebuilt, much of it better than ever. The streets were packed with people walking, while hundreds of cars flew overhead. In twenty-first century fashion, stalls were placed along the streets, selling printed newspapers, magazines, food, drinks, even a couple of them selling jewelry. "Why are all of these people selling these things out here?" Yala asked, looking at each as they passed.

"Its just something we used to do," Martin said. "People could grab something to read on their way to work without having to wait in a store or a restaurant." They walked past another stall selling newspapers, and Yala grabbed one, staring at it in awe. "Have you never seen a newspaper before?"

"No," Yala said, seeming to find the newspaper wondrous. She unfolded it, and began reading an article. "Why not read all of this on the extranet?"

"Some people still like to read a printed newspaper," Martin said. "Same reason there are still printed books when you could just download them onto your omnitool or data pad. There aren't many newspapers left though. I've heard that their used to be multiple papers in every somewhat major city. Even when I was a kid, there were two different newspapers in the biggest cities. Now there's only _Americana _here, there's not even a newspaper exclusively for New York City anywhere."

"Why not?"

Martin shrugged. "A lot of people that think the way you do, I assume. They'd rather read the news online."

"I would love to read one of these!" Yala protested, opening to the first page. "I wish we had something like this on Rannoch. Do you think they have newspapers on Noveria?"

Her enthusiasm completely surprised Martin. "I don't know. Remember to bring it up when we get there, we'll ask round."

Both Martin and Yala were exhausted at day's end, the hotel bed soft, inviting. Martin didn't even both to change out of his suit, deciding to remove the jacket and his shoes before plopping down in bed. Since precautions still needed to be taken off of Rannoch, Yala stayed in her suit. Martin wasn't sure how she was managing not to complain about it. The suit was not something she was used to having to wear at all hours anymore. "You want anything?" he asked sleepily. Yala grunted, apparently just as tired as he was. The two of them faded off to sleep as the stars began emerging in the clear night sky.

* * *

Yala woke up with a splitting pain in her head, dizziness overwhelming her. She tried to stand, only to find her hands and feet were bound at the wrists and ankles. The floor was hard, not the floor of the hotel. As her vision cleared, she noticed someone else laying on the floor nearby, unconscious. The room itself was small, completely empty besides them. Yala struggled to inch her way over to the other person in the room, and saw that it was Martin only then did the fear hit her, a shot to her gut, the pain spreading through her entire body. "Martin," she said, voice shaky, hoarse. "Martin," she said again.

He stirred, a groan of pain escaping his lips. Yala watched him reach up to rub the back of his head, and notice his own bindings. "What the fuck?" he said a little too loudly, his voice also hoarse and dry. Unlike Yala, Martin sounded angry rather than scared. "Yala?" he whispered, panicking.

"Behind you," Yala said quietly, not wanting to alert anyone who might be listening. She frowned as he struggled to roll over and face her, and gasped when he finally did. A streak of dried blood marked his face from a cut above his temple, which thankfully was no longer bleeding. "Keelah," she sobbed.

"I can feel it," Martin said. "Is it still bleeding?" She shook her head. "How are you? Do you know what happened?"

"My head hurts, but I'll be okay. I don't have the slightest clue what happened though. We fell asleep, and I don't remember anything after that before waking up here." Yala tried her hardest to stay calm, losing the battle as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm scared, who did this?"

Martin strained against his bindings. "I don't know. We'll find out soon enough." He looked away from her. "I'm sorry. Whoever is responsible, they took us because of me."

"You don't know that," Yala said immediately, refusing to let the man she loved do that to himself.

"Yala, come on," he said.

She looked at him with all the conviction she could manage. "No, you come on. Don't even take this blame upon yourself. I won't let you." He began to speak again, but Yala cut him off. "Martin, do not start blaming yourself, damn it!" she hissed.

The door opened, and Martin immediately looked up. Yala tried her hardest to twist around and see for herself who was entering the room. A boot shoved her in the back, keeping her from doing so. Martin began struggling violently, fire in his eyes, and someone stepped over Yala to kick him in the ribs. Yala managed to look up, seeing that the bosh'tet was a human, completely armored to keep them from seeing a face. She wasn't the most knowledgeable person about such things, but if the human wasn't a mercenary, than Yala wasn't a quarian. "Calm the fuck down," the mercenary said, voice surprisingly high and non-threatening. "Keep quiet and don't struggle, or next time I'm kicking the alien bitch." Martin struggled again, shouting threats, and the mercenary made good on his promise, driving his boot into Yala's stomach, nearly making her vomit.

Her vision became blurry again, the sight of Martin trembling as he fought not to fight back an image she could barely make out. The door behind her opened, and two more presumed mercenaries entered the room. Two hands gripped under Yala's arms, uncaring of the pain they caused. The one that kicked her and the newcomer both lifted a still trembling Martin to his feet. Yala wanted so bad to say something, anything that might calm him down, but knew she would be hit again if she did so. The mercenary that lifted her turned her around and pushed her toward the door. "Keep quiet, and show respect. If you don't, you will be punished." Yala felt more tears build in her eyes, glad these men could not see.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! AAAAHHHHH!**

**Decided to do a surprise two parter, because this will definitely be my last chapters for this story. Trying my hardest not to make Yala look like a damsel in distress, and she definitely won't be in the second part. **

**Also want to take a vote: Should Shepard/Tali get involved or should it stay Martin/Yala centric? I'm asking because if Shepard and Tali do get involved, it will be a big part of the story, and take away time that would otherwise go to Martin and Yala. So let's get out and vote! Make your voices heard!**


	30. Chapter 30

**I again want to thank EVERYONE who read this, whether you liked it or not, simply for giving me an audience. For those who did enjoy it, I thank you and appreciate it tremendously. I'm glad for every review, and appreciate all of those comments as well. Special thanks for Director57, TW6464, Omni-Foxvatar-117, Michael13, NucaCola, and everyone else who supported this story all the way. This is only the second story I've ever had anyone read that I wrote, and it did my confidence wonders to know it was well received.**

* * *

Martin kept his face an emotionless mask as he was pushed along. His ribs ached where he had been kicked, though luckily it didn't feel like any were broken. His head throbbed, and he could feel where blood had dried on his face. All of his aches were second in his mind to Yala. He couldn't see her face, but she seemed to be doing her best to stay strong. Hopefully she could manage until they were alone again. For right now, Martin knew the best thing to do was to stay calm, and wait for a chance for escape to present itself. The three escorting them looked to be mercenaries, here for nothing but credits. These particular mercenaries appeared to be cold, brutal, incapable of being turned, but others might be different.

They were led down a poorly lit hallway, shuffling along as best they could. Martin could see doors leading into various rooms on either side of them. With such poor lighting, there was no way he could be sure what type of building they were in exactly. Not a hotel or a house of any kind, he felt confident about that. They stopped at the last door to the right, and one of the mercs moved ahead, opening the door. One of them gripped Martin's wrists painfully, wrenching them up towards the small of his back. Yala cried out slightly as the same was done to her. They were led through the door that way, into a large living area, almost like an apartment. There was a living room as they entered, with a large couch and two recliner chairs. A computer was built into the wall, below a large monitor to watch shows and movies. To the left, an open entryway led into a bedroom, the bed itself visible, along with a nightstand. There were no windows to be seen. The setup appeared temporary, recently put together.

A woman with long, blonde hair sat in one of the recliners, and it was towards her that Martin and Yala were led. Once they were a few feet away, they were pushed down to their knees. "You want us to stick around?" one of the mercs asked.

"Only one of you," the woman said, voice young, with a faint hint of maybe too many cigarettes in her life. A brief conversation took place between the mercs, with the biggest of them deciding to stay. The other two left, closing the door behind them. Only then did the woman in the chair stand and face them. She looked every bit as young as her voice made her sound. Her blonde hair fell just past her shoulders, her nose slightly crooked. Martin searched every part of his memory for her face, trying his hardest to figure out if she was someone he knew. "You are Martin Shepard, right?" It was hard to fight back the urge to crack wise, and ask if the woman's first hint had been his obvious resemblance. Martin settled for nodding, keeping his expression emotionless. "Son of John Shepard, hero of the Reaper War and Savior of the Galaxy?"

Martin nodded, and the woman seemed relieved. Maybe he was imagining it, but he also saw a strange mix of admiration and disgust in her eyes. "And this…_quarian_, she is your girlfriend?" Any doubt about how these people knew he was in the city, and why they had taken him and Yala, was erased then. Martin could no longer stay calm, feeling foolish for believing the bullshit Mr. Primrose fed him about, "trying their hardest to change," the racist reputation Nashan Stellar Dynamics had. "Good," the woman said. "Here's how this works. You will be held in captivity. If you try to escape, we break something to make it impossible. You try again, and the quarian dies. You try after that, you die. We don't want to kill you, Martin Shepard. We simply want you and your father to come to your senses, and do the right thing for humanity."

The woman nodded, and returned to the chair. Martin and Yala were roughly turned around and pushed out of the room. They were not returned to the same empty room as before, but rather a slightly bigger room with a bed and a table, a chair for each of them at the table. To the left of the entrance was a bathroom, with nothing but a toilet, not even a bathtub of any kind. Like the room the woman had been in, there was no window. The mercs held them in place, cautiously removed the bindings on their wrists and ankles, and pushed them inside. "We have guards posted outside the room, and more all around this building. So think hard before you try to escape. You won't get far, and you'll get some bones broken for your trouble." The door was slammed, leaving Martin and Yala alone.

Only then did the two of them drop the façade. Yala crushed herself against Martin, a deep, shuddering breath passing through her. Martin held her, ignoring the digging of her helmet into his shoulder. It was a minor inconvenience compared to the rest of the pain he felt. "What do they want from us?" Yala asked.

"I don't know. They won't tell us, either."

Yala continued to take long, deep breaths, trying her hardest to stay composed. "They did this because of me. They said they want you and your father to do the right thing. It's because of me and Tali'Shepard." She pulled away. "These racist pieces of shit," she said. "If they think I'm going to be intimidated by them, they have another thing coming. I hope your parents don't consider their demands for even a second."

"They won't," Martin assured her. "If I know anything about my father and Tali, it's that they would never capitulate to scum like this. Especially scum like this."

"Who are they?" Yala asked. "Do you have any idea?"

Martin backed away, walking closer to the bed. "I know exactly who they are. The mercs are probably just mercs, they don't seem to care that much. Did you notice the pin on the woman's suit jacket, though?" Yala thought about it for a moment, and shook her head. "She's Terra Firma."

* * *

A hard knock on the door woke Yala from what had been a surprisingly peaceful slumber. "Wake up," a voice said harshly. Yala shook Martin, and he seemed to wake much easier than she was. Likely he hadn't been sleeping at all. "I'm coming in, I've got three others with me. Stay on the opposite wall, and don't move a goddamn inch." Martin was the first to leave the bed, helping Yala as she groggily removed herself from the blankets covering her. They had just situated themselves with their backs against the wall when the door opened. One merc entered, with the three others he mentioned waiting outside, one holding the door open. The merc that entered had a plate of food in one hand, and a tube of paste in the other. Both were placed on the table, not another word spoken by anyone as he left.

Much as she didn't want to give those bosh'tets the pleasure, Yala eagerly grabbed at the paste, her stomach long past the point of hunger. It was crap, the cheapest stuff someone could buy, but it may as well have been a gourmet dinner. Martin was less eager, as he sat at the table and poked at the impossible to identify meat on the plate, covered in a thick brown gravy. Yala could see it in his eyes, already. He was going to do something stupid. "Tell me," she said.

"Tell you what?" Martin asked, stomaching a bite of his food.

"Tell me what idiotic plan you have for breaking out of here."

The shock on his face told Yala she was one hundred percent right. "I don't have a plan to get out of here," Martin argued weakly.

"Yes, you do," Yala said. "I'm sure it's really, really stupid and reckless, which is why I want you to tell me. Maybe voicing it will allow you to realize it's stupid as well."

Martin laughed, a much needed laugh to see how his shoulders loosened, his face relaxed, and the air of intensity about him lessened. "When you put it like that, I have to admit I was thinking something stupid."

Yala looked around, for the second time, to make sure there were no obvious monitoring devices in the room. She checked when they were first brought in as well, and didn't see anything, but she still wanted to check before she said what she wanted to say. Not having any monitoring devices only supported Yala's growing feeling that this was a totally amateur operation, planned in a short amount of time, likely in what little time they had after finding out Martin was coming to Earth for the job interview. Unlike Martin, who was sure that this Mr. Primrose that interviewed him was involved, Yala didn't believe that Nashan Stellar Dynamics was involved. More likely, someone else within the company that still held racist beliefs was responsible.

Only when she was again sure that the room was empty of an monitoring devices did Yala grab Martin's arm and drag him into the bathroom. It was a tight fit, but she wanted to be sure that none of the mercenaries would hear and report what they heard. "I don't think it will be as hard to get out of here as they want us to believe," Yala whispered, glad that the bathroom did not echo. "They don't have any cameras on us, and everything about the rooms we've been in suggests they were only recently furnished. If it's Terra Firma, like you said, then using mercenaries rather than their own men suggests this might not be an official Terra Firma action, at least not yet. We probably have a small window of opportunity before any reinforcements arrive to make escape harder."

Martin listened carefully, tapping his foot. "This seems to be some type of abandoned office building. That would explain the lack of windows in the rooms we've been in, and the dust covering everything. I think you might be right. We still need to be careful, they have weapons, and neither of us will be allowed to get any stronger while we're captive."

"Agreed," Yala said, already beginning to grow hungry again and knowing that there would certainly be no more food anytime soon. No better way to break someone than to keep them starving. "They may not have many mercs to watch over us. It's possible there's only the four we've seen, and they stay together to give off the impression that there are more, and they can afford to stay together that way."

"I'm almost certain about that," Martin agreed. "At most, they have only a few others. If we could nab weapons off two of them, I'd feel confident in our chances in a firefight."

"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" Yala teased.

"We don't have much a choice but to get ahead of ourselves," Martin responded. "If we don't try and get out now, the chance will pass us by."

That chance came two days later. The same four mercs continued to be the only ones they saw, and the woman was the only Terra Firma member they saw as well. Martin managed to break off a piece of metal from underneath the bed, about a foot and a half long. Together they somehow managed to break a piece of wood off the back of one of the chairs as well. These were both hidden inside the toilet tank, the one area the mercs didn't search during their inspections, which took place every time they brought a meal after the first time. When they were questioned about the missing piece of the chair, they insisted that the chair was that way all along.

Yala could barely sleep the night before their attempted escape, waking every hour with sweat rolling down her face, uncomfortable in the suit. The piece of wood from the chair was under her pillow, and she gripped it upon waking, reassuring herself that this would work, that it had to. She would drift off to sleep again, only to wake the next hour. After four unsuccessful attempts to stay asleep, she threw the blanket off, and set her feet on the floor. The visor suddenly felt restricting, like a wet cloth covering her face, making it a struggle to breathe. Her chest heaved, drawing in desperate gulps of air. Unable to take it anymore, she fumbled with the seals keeping her visor connected to her helmet, yanking it off. A sudden sickness struck her stomach, and she rushed to the bathroom, barely making it before emptying her stomach into the bowl.

Footsteps tentatively drew closer to her, and a hand settled on her shoulder. Yala didn't want to open her eyes, thinking that the sight in the toilet would only make her vomit again. "Go ahead and let it out," Martin said quietly, rubbing her back gently. "Better you do so now, instead of later when you need to be composed."

Yala managed to control her breathing, feeling a little better. She still kept her eyes shut as she leaned away from the toilet, just in case. Martin was crouched next to her, now holding her hand, soothingly rubbing it. "Sorry, I had to let it out."

He shrugged. "I reacted the same way before I helped recover the cargo my ship lost on my Pilgrimage. It's natural."

"That's…somewhat comforting," Yala said. "I had those guys that opened fire while I was at the concert with Hailey and Neema, but I've never actively fought before. Well, besides what Tali'Shepard taught me, but that wasn't life threatening."

"It's okay," Martin said. "It will be okay. You're facing the fear now, which is good. Just follow my lead once it starts, stay alert, stay reactive. Listen to every word I say, and don't improvise unless absolutely necessary. I've seen you training with my mom, and you can handle this."

Yala smiled weakly. She took one more deep breath, and locked her visor back into place. "Alright. Okay." She stood, and placed a hand on the wall as her legs steadied beneath her. She looked at Martin, smiling, and she knew he could tell. "I love you. I really, really love you. I have to say that."

She expected him to tell her they would be fine, that such talk wasn't necessary, the typical things someone would say in such a situation. Instead, he grabbed her hand, caressing it with his thumb. "I love you, too."

* * *

The same warning as always came from outside the room. Stay against the wall, don't move, there are three others outside. The warning was not delivered with the same authority as usual. As Martin had hoped, his and Yala's submissive behavior during their captivity had lowered the mercs' guard. They stayed against the wall, as told, while the door opened and a merc walked in with a plate of food and a tube of paste. Martin immediately noticed that only two guards were outside the room, and both had their backs turned. The merc with the food placed it on the table. "Looks a little more edible today," he said. "I know this isn't the greatest food, but it-"

He never finished the sentence before the sliver of metal from the bed was shoved into the side of his neck, piercing the weak point of the armor he wore. Martin caught the limp body, lowering it to the ground quietly. While he did so, Yala ran forward, her suit muffling her steps. The mercs outside turned around, just as she reached them with the piece of wood. It had warped slightly from the time in the toilet tank, but was more than an effective weapon. She knocked the merc to the right of the door to the ground, turned, and delivering a cracking blow to the other, snapping the wood in half. The merc stumbled woozily into the wall. The one on the ground stood quickly, still woozy himself, but by then Martin was on him, stabbing the metal into his neck much the same as he did the other. Yala finished off the second merc by taking his gun and hitting him three times in the head, until he fell unconscious. No one else was in the hallway, and no one saw as Martin and Yala pulled the unconscious bodies into their room.

The mercs only carried pistols, old models, models Martin's father still preferred from his experiences with them. Each of them carried three thermal clips as well, which Martin and Yala took, along with the holsters to carry them and the pistols. "Do you have a full clip for that thing?" Martin asked. Yala nodded. "Good. Follow me, cover my rear."

"Not a problem," Yala said seductively, surprising considering their current situation. Martin grinned.

As they stalked down the hall towards the room the Terra Firma member occupied, Martin found himself easily slipping back into the military mindset he picked up from Lucanus and Piok during his Pilgrimage. He had not faced a combat situation since those days, and certainly never sought one out, but it felt natural to hold a gun again. Maybe it was in his genes. His grandmother had been an Alliance soldier, captain of the _Kilimanjaro_, which was destroyed sacrificing itself during the Reaper War, taking two Reapers with it. Of course, everyone knew who his father was, and the amazing things he did while both an Alliance soldier and a Spectre. Feeling comfort like he did now, he wondered if maybe it was simply in his blood to fight.

When they reached the door to the woman's room, Martin took position on one side of the door, while Yala took position on the other. No words were needed, they knew what to do. Martin twisted the doorknob slowly, making sure the door was not locked. He counted down from three, and rushed through the door, Yala right behind him. A merc was inside, and Martin put him down in one shot. The woman opened her mouth to scream, but Yala was already on her, hand over her mouth to stop her. Yala cried out in pain as the woman bit down on her hand, but to her credit did not move it. Martin closed the door, ran over, and grabbed the woman around the neck, putting his pistol to her head. "You make a noise, I shoot you. I don't care if I get shot two seconds later, it would be enough knowing you are no longer out in the galaxy doing whatever evil you do."

"Please," the woman whispered. "Please, I have a-"

"A husband, a child, a close friend, a pen pal? I don't care. I have a family, too, didn't stop you from threatening to kill me." The door was shoved open, and a merc ran in. He did not have time to react before Yala shot him, a perfect shot into the left eye, killing the merc instantly. She shook afterwards, the effect of the first time she had ever killed someone. Martin wanted to comfort her, but now was not the time. He was forced to have faith that she would stay composed. "I'm going to ask you questions, and you will whisper the answers as quietly as you can, or you die. Nod so I know you understand." The woman nodded. "How many mercs do you have here?"

"Ten. Only ten."

"Including the five we killed?"

Martin saw the woman's eyes widen with fear. "Y-yes."

"When are the reinforcements you requested showing up?"

"Tomorrow."

Martin weighed her words, paid attention to every twitch of her muscles. Yala did the same, and when he exchanged a look with her, she nodded. It was impossible to know for sure if she was telling the truth, but if she was lying, she was a damn good liar. Martin loosened his grip around her neck, having received the answers he wanted. He didn't let go completely, though. "Okay. Yala, grab the clips off of-"

The slight lack of concentration was enough for the woman to reach a hand up and pop something into her mouth. Martin tried to stop her from biting down, but he could not. She began to foam at the mouth almost immediately, convulsing in his arms. Martin let her down to the ground. "What did she do?" Yala asked, eyes wide behind her visor.

"She took some kind of suicide capsule. I should have expected it."

"Keelah…" Yala whispered, looking down at the dying woman.

Any opportunity to collect themselves was lost when the ringing of a gunshot could be heard outside, somewhere down the hallway. Neither Yala nor Martin had closed the door after the last merc to run in was killed. Yala ran and did so, while Martin grabbed the nightstand and placed it in front of the door. Together, they carried the couch and leaned it against the door as well. They waited in the bedroom, crouched behind the mattress of the bed, as a crowd of footsteps could be heard running towards the door. Yala gripped her pistol tightly with one hand, the other searching for Martin's. He grasped it, the two sharing a look that might be their last. They did not speak, instead looking forward, pistols aimed forward, fingers on the triggers.

The first thing Martin noticed when the door burst open was the armor. It was not the same as the mercs. Colored light blue, and covered in emblems. The initials U.S.N.A. were in white across the front and back. A grin came to Martin. "Don't shoot!" he shouted, flinching when half a dozen guns immediately aimed his way. "My name is Martin Shepard!" he said.

Yala stayed crouched behind the bed, and Martin reached down a hand to help her up, nodding that things were okay now. "Are you alone in there?" one of the officers asked.

"Yes," Martin responded immediately, dropping his pistol and taking Yala's away, before dropping it, too. "We're coming out now, we're unarmed."

The officers removed their helmets as the two left the bedroom. "Go check the bedroom out, just in case," one of them, seemingly the squad leader, said. He smiled at Martin. "Are these bodies your handiwork?" he asked.

"All but the woman," Martin said. "She bit down on a capsule or something and took her own life."

"Good riddance," the officer spat. "Let's get you out of here. The rest of the mercs have been dealt with, and there's some very important people that will have my head if I don't get you out there."

Martin smiled. "I'm sure Tali would forgive you, as long as I'm safe."

* * *

John Shepard paced furiously outside the abandoned apartment building, the officers and lights and sirens nothing more than an annoyance. Tali stood near a group of the officers, trying to lose herself in pointless conversation, while the Nashan Stellar Dynamics executive watched the doors intently. He had tried his hardest to thank the man, but he couldn't do so yet. Not until he knew Martin was alright. No one would tell him a damn thing while he waited. There was nothing he could do but wait.

The front doors of the apartment opened, and Shepard immediately began walking that way. A stream of SWAT came out first, guns holstered. Three of them broke away from the rest of the group, jogging over to the police captain on the scene. Shepard stood on his tip-toes, trying to see past the others. The others slowly dispersed, until Shepard could see the two at the center of the crowd. He immediately began walking forward, surprised when someone ran past him at full speed. Tali didn't stop until she slammed into Martin, hugging him as tight as she could. Yala kept her distance, but Tali had none of it, grabbing her and pulling her into the hug. Shepard kept walking, and joined the hug when he arrived.

"So how did you find out what happened?" Martin asked, when they were finally alone at the police station.

"Terra Firma's been harassing me for months, trying to get my support for their candidate running for Prime Minister," Shepard said. "It's nothing new, they make about half a dozen calls every election. Two days ago, I received an encrypted message telling me that they had you, and if I ever wanted to see you alive again I would have to leave Rannoch, give their candidate my full support, and 'make a campaign donation' of seven hundred thousand credits."

"We immediately came to Earth and alerted the authorities," Tali chimed in, from her spot in between Martin and Yala. "Still, we would never have found you so quickly without the help of Mr. Primrose. He recognized a number that a receptionist called as one on a list of numbers belonging to various Terra Firma headquarters around Earth. He had the authorities detain that receptionist, and he cracked under questioning-"

"My questioning," Shepard added in.

Tali rolled her eyes. "He cracked under questioning and told everythingshe knew. With the help of the finest police the United North American States had to offer, we found the apartment building, and you two."

"And the cops took one of the mercs in to custody, where he is likely singing like a canary."

Yala and Tali both cocked their head at Shepard's expression. "Singing like a what?" Tali asked.

Shepard chuckled. "He's telling everything he knows, basically."

Martin smiled weakly. "So, was this some big Terra Firma scheme? Were they all in on it?"

"Maybe it was meant to eventually be so, but it doesn't look like it was when we got here," Shepard said. "Hopefully this receptionist at Nashan Stellar can provide some solid leads, and if not him then the merc. The USNA have promised to follow through on this until they know for sure." He hoped that would be good enough. "I know one thing for sure, I'm making it a personal mission of mine to make sure these sons of bitches can never do this again. Next time, I'm suiting up and killing some racists myself."

Tali shook her head, while Yala cowered a little. She had always been intimidated by Shepard, something he wished he could change but was thinking he could not. Martin stood, stretching his arms above his head. "I just want to go home," he said.

"Me too," Yala added. "I want to see my parents. Keelah, my parents! Do they know about this?!"

"No," Tali said immediately. "This incident has not hit the news, and hopefully never will. I asked them to watch Nara for a few days while John and I were out of town, and they happily agreed. I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to tell them. You're a grown woman, you should be trusted to do what you feel is best."

They're conversation was interrupted when a detective walked over to them. "Okay, you are free to leave. We have your contact information, and per your request, Commander Shepard, will contact you upon any developments."

Shepard stood, putting on the mask of the former Spectre and war hero. "I mean it, detective, I want to know when you find out anything. I know I'm not a soldier anymore, but I still have some powerful friends. I can get you anything you need to help. So don't hesitate to ask."

"That offer is much appreciated," the detective said.

He shook Shepard's hand, then everyone else's, offering a few words of encouragement to Martin and Yala.

Shepard could feel the stress of the past couple days finally take its toll on him. "So, you two coming back to Rannoch, or sticking around?" he asked Martin and Yala.

Tali scoffed at the idea that it was up for debate. "What do you mean? Of course they're coming back to Rannoch." She paused, having to stop herself from being the overprotective mother. "Right?"

Martin laughed, and Shepard was glad to hear it. "Yes, we're going home. At least for now." Tali beamed, and led the way out of the police station.

* * *

Being back in his own bed made Martin never want to leave again. Especially when Yala was there with him, snuggled up against his side, holding him tightly. Neither was sleeping, the danger they had just faced too fresh. Even in their home on Rannoch, Martin could not feel safe, not yet. "Martin?" Yala asked, tentatively.

"Hmm?"

She paused. "What do you want to do now? Are you going to take the job on Noveria?"

Martin grimaced. They hadn't talked about this yet, and he was hoping to delay as long as he could. "I don't know," he said, completely honest. "After what happened, I just don't know. I almost feel like I'll face that risk any time I leave Rannoch. Maybe I should just stay here, keep my job now, and wait for an opening with a company that operates here."

"I'm not going to pretend I wouldn't like that," Yala said. "But I don't want you to make the decision out of fear, either for you or me. If you want that job on Noveria, you should take it. We'll manage."

Martin sat up, and buried his face in his hands. "It's ridiculous," he said after a few moments. "For all the progress this galaxy has made, bullshit like that can still happen to us, just because I'm the son of John Shepard. It's not fair to me, it's not fair to you, and it's not fair to my father. He's spent his life doing nothing but good for everyone, they all owe him their lives, but because he's not 'human' enough for them, we have to suffer?" He looked back at Yala, who's unmasked eyes were avoiding his. "It's bullshit, and I can't take it. If something happened to you because of people like that, I'd lose my fucking mind. I couldn't stay sane."

"We face that risk here," Yala said. "I've faced such obstacles here on Rannoch. Not everyone likes that we are together. Even after all these years, it's not unheard of for someone to approach me and ask why I'm wasting my life with someone I can't even have children with."

As angry as that made Martin, he also felt the familiar regret. Their inability to have children together was something that constantly played on his mind, something he often needed reassurance from Yala would not lead to their falling out. Everybody wanted children at some point. He often worried that their inability to do so would lead to Yala desiring someone else. Hopefully, some of the research he heard about from his father would come to fruition in his lifetime. "The limited prejudice we face on Rannoch is better than the prejudice we'd face anywhere else," Martin said.

"No it's not, it would just be less," Yala said, sitting up with him. Her expression took on a resoluteness that Martin both admired and found incredibly attractive. "You cannot let the few bosh'tets out there stop you from doing what you want with your life. I won't let you. So if you want the job on Noveria, we're going."

Martin grinned. "Simple as that, huh?"

"Simple as that."

Martin didn't say another word. He lay back down, taking Yala with him, who went along eagerly. His eyelids suddenly began drooping, sleep finally coming to him, easy and burden free. His dreams were pleasant.


End file.
